Need a delicious lunch or a side dish for a party in 10 minutes?! This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is made especially for you. This recipe is full of flavor, high in protein and perfect to meal prep for the week.
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Chickpea salads were one of the first recipes I added into my diet when I started to dip my toes into the whole-food based diet world. They taste good, they’re incredibly easy to make and one of the few types of salads that are actually satiating.
This vegan mediterranean chickpea salad is full of flavor, contrasting textures, fresh herbs, protein and actually gets better as it ages so it’s perfect for meal prep.
However, most Mediterranean salads are going to have kalamata olives. I left them out of this one because well, I hate them (!), but they do add extra flavor and some saltiness. They are written into the recipe, but feel free to add or subtract any ingredients that you don’t like, including the olives.
That’s the great thing about salads, you can really toss in or leave out whatever you do or don’t like.
Do I need to cook canned chickpeas?
No! Canned chickpeas are already cooked so all you need to do is drain and rinse them really well which makes this a super easy salad to put together.
To make this recipe, all you need to do is drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them a bowl with all the chopped/diced veggies.
Next, whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl and pour on top of the salad. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette made with a base of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and garlic for tons of flavor.
I like to use this salad dressing shaker to make sure everything is well incorporated. Mix well so everything is well coated. I like to add some extra basil on top, but this is totally optional.
This recipe is perfect for a school or work lunch, or a summer beach trip.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this salad exactly as prepared as a complete lunch on its own, toss it with more greens, with a side of pita and hummus, or as a side at a summer get together.
It’s perfect at room temperature, so no need to refrigerate before serving, but I do find the flavors only get better with time so it’s great to prep in advance.
Recipe tips & tricks
- In case you didn’t know, chickpeas are the same as garbanzo beans, so if you see a container labeled garbanzo beans and not chickpeas, that’s exactly what you’re looking for! I don’t know why they’re called chickpeas, but it’s a cute name, so I’ll take it.
- Make sure you wash the chickpeas really well before combining them with the rest of the ingredients. This will help prevent gas associated with eating beans.
- This recipe calls for canned chickpeas, but you can also use chickpeas cooked from dry. You’ll want to use 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas in place of every 1 can.
- This mediterranean chickpea salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. You’ll know it’s gone bad when the chickpeas start to smell. Trust me, it’s a smell you can’t miss!
- While this recipe doesn’t call for avocado, I love adding some on top of this salad. The creaminess of the avocado mixed with the crunchiness of the cucumber and tang of the lemon pairs really well together.
Try these recipes next
- Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad Sandwich
- Mexican Three Bean Salad
- Orange Chickpea Buddha Bowl
- Heirloom Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Asian Edamame Crunch Salad
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation!
Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 cans chickpeas
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- Optional: 1/4 cup (DF feta)
Dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas until no bubbles remain.
- Add them to a bowl with the chopped pepper, onion, cucumber, halved tomatoes, green onions, parsley and basil.
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl or combine in a salad dressing shaker and pour over the salad.
- Mix to combine well.
- Add additional basil if desired and enjoy!
Janek
Loved it!!! So versatile and the avocados were perfect. I also added balsamic glaze because it hides the taste of avocado.
Claire Cary
Thanks Janek, sounds so good with the balsamic glaze!