This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a filling and healthy salad that is packed with fresh flavours. With salty feta cheese, crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and creamy chickpeas all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, it is fresh and light, and takes minutes to make!
This chickpea and feta salad takes inspiration from a traditional Greek salad but with the addition of chickpeas. Like my Indian chickpea salad, and Greek orzo salad it is packed with flavour and textures, and is a dish that the meat eaters in my family enjoy as much as the vegetarians.
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Chickpeas – tinned / canned chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. I often use canned chickpeas for convenience.
- Tomatoes – cherry tomatoes add sweetness, but a couple of roughly chopped larger tomatoes would work just as well.
- Cucumber – a Lebanese cucumber or half a whole cucumber if you are in the UK.
- Red pepper – red capsicum, or substitute with green capsicum.
- Feta cheese – I like to use Danish style feta cheese here in Australia for its creaminess, however you can use Greek feta cheese, or substitute with goats cheese.
- Black olives – Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped. These add bursts of salty, briny flavour.
- Capers – capers in vinegar are optional, I love the tangy bursts they give to the salad.
- Sherry vinegar – this Spanish vinegar has a slightly sweetness that is delicious in a salad dressing like this lemon one, or substitute with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice adds extra tangy flavour to the dressing.
- Herbs – I love to use fresh dill and parsley, but you could use some of these parsley alternatives, basil or mint.
How to make this Greek style chickpea salad
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Vegetables – Prepare the vegetables, chopping them into equal size. Rinse the chickpeas to get rid of the brine, then drain them well.
- Make the dressing – you can make the dressing ahead and store in the fridge. Either whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or use a jam jar to shake them together.
- Combine – Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.
FAQ
Absolutely! Butter beans or white beans like cannellini beans work especially well in this salad. You could also substitute in some cooked lentils instead of the chickpeas.
Top with some grilled chicken or lamb, poached salmon or a tin of tuna. Serve in a wrap or with some cooked grains like quinoa or farro, or some cooked orzo.
Yes! Simply leave out the feta cheese or use a plant based feta cheese. This salad is full of so many flavours it is a very easy switch to make it vegan / dairy free.
My recipe tips
- Variations – I love this salad recipe because it is so adaptable. You could add other vegetables such as a diced avocado or blanched green beans; swap in sumac onions instead of the red onion, or swap the herbs. Mint would be a lovely addition, but it does go brown over time so I recommend only adding it if you plan on eating it soon after preparing.
- Leafy veg – Stir through a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or rocket (arugula) before serving.
Serving Ideas
This easy chickpea salad is a delicious side to grilled meats or fish for dinner, or serve as part of a mezze-style meal with this crunchy cabbage salad, kisir salad, and flatbread.
For lunch it is is great on its own or with some pitta on the side.
Make ahead/storage
This chickpea salad keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to a day. It tends to become watery if left any longer.
Why not try…
You may also like these other easy salad recipes:
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Author: Robyn
Ingredients
- 400g (14 oz) chickpeas drained
- 1 Lebanese cucumber or half an English / telegraph cucumber, diced
- ½ red pepper / capsicum diced
- handful cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
- 1-2 teaspoons capers in vinegar, drained roughly chopped, optional
- 8 -10 black olives
- 100g (3½ oz) feta
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ½ small lemon juiced, approx 1-1.5 tablespoons
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Make the lemon vinaigrette
- Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl or jam jar, check for seasoning and set aside.
Prepare the salad
- In a large bowl, add the drained chickpeas, chopped cucumber, pepper / capsicum, halved tomatoes, chopped parsley and dill, capers and olives.
- Toss the ingredients together, then sprinkle over the feta and dressing and toss lightly to combine.
- Best served straight away. Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the fridge overnight but the salad does tend to go watery.
Video
Notes
- Chickpeas – tinned / canned chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. I often use canned chickpeas for convenience.
- Tomatoes – cherry tomatoes add sweetness, but a couple of roughly chopped tomatoes would work just as well.
- Cucumber – a Lebanese cucumber or half a whole cucumber if you are in the UK.
- Red pepper – red capsicum, or substitute with green capsicum.
- Feta cheese – I like to use Danish style feta cheese here in Australia for its creaminess, however you can use Greek feta cheese, or substitute with goats cheese.
- Black olives – Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped. These add bursts of salty, briny flavour.
- Capers – capers in vinegar are optional, I love the tangy bursts they give to the salad.
- Sherry vinegar – this Spanish vinegar has a slightly sweetness that is delicious in a salad dressing like this lemon one, or substitute with red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice adds extra tangy flavour to the dressing.
- Herbs – I love to use fresh dill and parsley, but you could use some of these parsley alternatives, basil or mint.
Nutrition
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