A quick and healthy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Recipe brimming with garbanzo beans, crisp cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, feta cheese, and ready in 10 minutes. It’s perfect for an easy lunch or dinner, naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan friendly.
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Post originally published in 2021. Post updated with more information, same delicious recipe!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Fresh ingredients and bold flavor.
- An explosion of colorful veggies, fresh Mediterranean flavors, and so many textures.
- Serve it as a meal prep lunch, an easy side dish for dinner, or a quick salad for a cookout with friends.
- Super customizable with a variety of ways to make it your own.
If you love chickpeas, make sure to check out Vegan Kale Caesar Salad, Chickpea Peanut Curry, Chickpea Shawarma Bowls, and Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl.
Recipe Ingredients
This Mediterranean salad with garbanzo beans is one of those recipes that is almost too good to be true, but trust me when I say, it is as easy as it seems. All it takes is 8 basic ingredients, including:
- chickpeas – use one can of chickpeas or cook dried chickpeas from scratch. Soak them in a bowl of cold water with a pinch of baking soda overnight, then drain, add fresh water, and simmer until tender, or cook them in a pressure cooker. Whether you use fresh or canned, always make sure to drain and rinse thoroughly beforehand.
- cucumbers – you can use regular cucumbers, Persian cucumber, or English cucumbers. If the seeds look watery, scoop the middle out with a spoon.
- red onion – chopped finely, the red onion adds a delicious, punchy bite. Green onion would offer a mild onion flavor, or you can soak the red onions in a small bowl of cool water for 10 minutes to take some of the edge off of the raw onion.
- tomatoes – cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are my go-to, but chopped Roma tomatoes work too.
- parsley – fresh parsley adds delicious fresh flavor. A few more fresh herbs you can try are fresh mint, fresh basil, or fresh dill.
- lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice will provide the best flavor. You could also swap it out for 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar if you are really feeling fancy.
- extra-virgin olive oil – extra virgin olive oil gives this simple salad body and healthy fats.
- Kosher salt – salt enhances all the flavors. A pinch of black pepper or red pepper flakes wouldn’t hurt either.
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
How to Make
This garbanzo bean salad is a one-bowl recipe that’s ready in less than 15 minutes! Most of the work is prepping the fresh veggies, but once you have that done, it’s a simple mix, toss, and enjoy. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
Mix Fresh Vegetables
In a large bowl, mix together chickpeas, cucumber, onion, tomato and parsley. Then add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, and give it one more gentle toss.
Serve
Serve immediately, garnishing with salty feta cheese if vegetarian or creamy avocado if following a vegan diet.
Flavor Variations
This easy chickpea salad recipe is an incredible base recipe that can be jazzed up depending on what you are craving or the ingredients you have on hand. Some of my favorite combinations include:
- Chickpea Feta Salad: I like to top things off with feta cheese which adds an extra hint of saltiness -YUM! Roasted red peppers or artichokes would be a nice addition, too.
- Vegan Chickpea Salad Recipe: If you’re looking to keep this dairy free and vegan, serving with diced avocado is delicious too! Or try vegan feta instead.
- Chicken Chickpea Salad: If you’re not primarily plant based and looking for some additional protein, adding some shredded chicken could be another good option for you.
- Greek Chickpea Salad: Take some inspiration from Greek salad and toss in kalamata olives, red bell pepper, and green pepper.
- Green Salad: Serve it over a bed of fresh leafy greens for even more vegetables!
Serving Suggestions
This chickpea salad is great for a variety of occasions. Whether it’s a healthy meal prepped lunch, a side to go with dinner, or something to bring to a cookout, it’s super quick and easy.
If you’re looking to make it a full meal, add some quinoa and your choice of protein like grilled chicken, salmon, tuna or a plant-based protein like tempeh.
How to Meal Prep & Store
Preparing the chickpea salad ahead of time is a great way to get ahead for the week, or to just have some freshly prepared vegetables on hand to snack on. Here are my best storage tips:
- Meal Prep: Prepare all of the veggies together as directed and evenly portion out servings into individual containers (about 4-6 containers, depending on how small or large you’d like your servings). Refrain from adding the dressing ingredients until ready to serve.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The vegetables will soften and release some of their water on days 2 and 3.
Recipe FAQs
What does a chickpea salad contain?
This simple chickpea salad is made with canned chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, grape tomatoes, parsley, lemon, olive oil, and salt. Feel free to top it with crumbled feta cheese, or keep it vegan with diced avocado.
Is chickpea salad good for health?
Yes, garbanzo beans in salad is super healthy and packed full of plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals thanks to all the colorful vegetables.
Can I use canned chickpeas instead of cooking them from dried?
Yes, canned chickpeas are a convenient and budget-friendly ingredient that work perfectly fine for this recipe. Just make sure to drain and rinse them well before using.
Can I substitute another type of bean for chickpeas?
While chickpeas are the star ingredient, you can have fun with this recipe and replace them with cannellini beans, navy beans, or black beans. Keep in mind the texture and flavor will change based on whatever bean you choose.
More Healthy Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled in stripes and chopped
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
- juice of 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional:
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
- 1 small avocado, pitted, fleshed and diced
Instructions
- In a large bowl add chickpeas, cucumber, onion, tomato and parsley. Toss together then add lemon juice, olive oil and salt; stir to combine.
- Serve immediately, garnishing with feta cheese if you’d like. Adding diced avocado would be delicious too!
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