This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is incredibly easy to make and works well as a salad topper or side dish.
This recipe is gluten-free and vegan so most can enjoy! Made with plant-based ingredients and full of bright flavor - perfect for any summer gathering.
Meal prep this side dish and have for work lunches or snacks throughout the week ahead. I love adding it to salads, wraps or over rice with chicken.
10 Ingredients
- Chickpeas
- Bell pepper
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Parsley
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic
This recipe is simple and easy. The flavors are not overpowering so that you can taste the fresh, crisp veggies and herbs.
The dressing is a simple oil and lemon juice with salt, garlic and pepper. For summer salads, I find this to be perfect.
It's light and not overpowering with flavor so you can taste the parsley and sweetness from the bell peppers.
If you want to pack more flavor, you could add additional spices like cumin, chili powder or paprika.
Prepping the Salad
This might be one of the simplest recipes in terms of the total steps required to make the dish!
Essentially, chop everything and mix in a bowl - that's it!
I would drain and rinse the chickpeas to remove the excess sodium.
Allow the salad to chill for an hour for the flavors to marinate before serving. This step is totally optional, but allows the flavor time to pop!
Recipe Variations
The original recipe is made vegan with no animal products. However, here are some ways you can change it up and add new spin-offs of the original recipe:
- Feta cheese and kalamata olives: add a salty component and more Mediterranean flavors
- Corn and sun-dried tomatoes: swap the cherry tomatoes for sun-dried tomatoes for a southwest variation
You can also add more veggies to this dish with chopped onion, carrots and radishes.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge. However, I would say it's optimal to enjoy within the first 3 days of prep.
Yes! I think basil would go so well. You could also try cilantro.
More Salad Recipes
These recipes are also Mediterranean inspired, so if you enjoy bright, zesty flavor - you'll love these good eats too!
Quinoa Salad: Quinoa, fresh veggies and chickpeas are mixed with a lemon and lime vinaigrette. Top with zest and mint leaves for a delish and refreshing salad!
Bean Salad: This bean salad has 7 ingredients and includes an Italian vinaigrette. If you don't have Italian seasoning, no worries, you can make your own at home!
Pasta Salad: Made with red lentil pasta noodles, this recipe is gluten-free! I think of this recipe as the perfect summer salad you can bring to cookouts or picnics.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed or no salt added)
- 1 chopped bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1 quartered cucumber
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup avocado or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
Instructions
- In a colander, drain and rinse chickpeas.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix together well.
- Chill for an hour before serving.
Notes
- Check out the recipe variations in the blog for ideas on how to change up the recipe and flavor!
- If you don't have parsley, you could try swapping it for cilantro or basil.
- Will keep in the fridge for 5 days but optimal freshness is within 3 days.
Nutrition
(Nutrition values are calculated by third-party software and an estimate that can vary based on product brands and cooking methods.)
dki says
This recipe is a favorite of mine. So good and it never gets old.
Monica Nedeff says
That makes my day to hear, thank you for that lovely comment!