Calling for a mix of peas, herbs, and fresh produce, this chickpea salad recipe gives you a tasty side dish to BBQs, burgers, steaks, or any grilled entrée for Garbanzo Bean Day (October 21st).
Chickpea salad can hold up super well in the fridge for several days, making it an excellent prep-ahead choice for brunches throughout the week. With this nutty salad, you’ll get a blend of balanced flavors in every spoon you take.
Is Chickpea Salad Healthy?
Yes, it is.
Chickpeas are peach-colored seed pods that belong to the pea family. Little did you know, “chickpeas” is an American term. In Europe, they’re actually known as “garbanzo beans”.
Lending a nutty flavor, they’re a great plant-based source of protein and rich in essential nutrients, including iron, zinc, and B vitamins. In recent years, this protein packed produce has been used as an excellent replacement for meat in many vegan dishes.
In today’s recipe, we opt for canned peas to save the prepping time, as they’re pre-cooked, ready-to-serve peas that can be eaten straight out of the package. All you need to do is crack the can open, drain the liquid and excess salt, rinse the peas properly, then toss them into the salad.
Main Ingredients
Loaded with fresh ingredients that come in vibrant flavors and diverse textures, this chickpea salad recipe gives you a little bit of everything in each spoon you take. You’ll find the hearty chickpeas, fresh herbs, creamy tangy feta cheese, and nutty almond kernels working harmoniously with each other for a simple yet fulfilling salad.
1. Chickpeas
Both canned chickpeas and unprocessed chickpeas are convenient to keep on hand as they can last long. Dried chickpeas can even retain their best quality for about 2 to 3 years at room temperature!
With this in mind, if properly stored, chickpeas will always be ready for a spontaneous protein salad. Feel free to have either white beans, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, or any of your favorite peas/beans as a replacement.
Still cannot decide which to choose? How about having them all on one plate?
Yes, you heard that right. We also prepared for this situation by coming up with a three bean salad, calling for green beans, red kidney beans, and chickpeas all going in at the same time!
2. Veggies and Nuts
In this section, we’re talking about a mix of red onion, tomato, cucumber, almond, parsley, and feta cheese. We recommend you first cut or slice each of them into small, chickpea-sized pieces so they’re easier to scoop up when serving.
Asherry tomatoes add a vigorous and bursty kick, plus the cucumbers and toasted almonds complement the chickpeas with their fresh and crisp crunch. Finally, the feta cheese crumbles with their delightful creamy texture and mellow melting taste add a tangy, rich, and slightly salty finish.
Alternatively, you can substitute your favorite vegetables for our ingredients, such as:
- White or green onions for red onions.
- Vine ripened, grape or cherry tomatoes, or better — a combination of both types.
- Goat cheese for feta cheese.
- Toasted cumin seeds or any type of chopped toasted nuts for almond kernels.
- Possibly any other fresh herb for parsley — including (but not limited to) cilantro, chives, dill, basil, or mint leaves. Dried herbs could also be used if preferred.
For appetizing twists, get creative with the following add-ins:
- Avocado slices, to lend extra creaminess and another healthy source of fat to the salad. Remember to add them just before serving, as avocado is prone to getting soft and darkening very quickly after being exposed to air.
- Dried fruits, for extra sweetness and chewy texture. They could make a marvelous contrast of flavor to the tangy vinaigrette.
Chickpea Salad Dressing
In this chickpea salad recipe, we combine olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasonings, oregano, pepper, mustard, and salt for the vinaigrette. For week-long storing, pour the vinaigrette into a mason jar with a lid so you’ll have it ready to drizzle over a tossed salad any time you want.
Don’t hesitate to get creative by switching out our ingredients for your favorite seasonings. Just go slowly when mixing — whisk, taste, and adjust everything little by little until it reaches a perfectly balanced flavor that you desire.
How to Make Chickpea Salad
Calling for a mix of peas, herbs, and a tangy flavorful vinaigrette, this chickpea salad makes an excellent side salad to dinners and big meals. It takes only 15 minutes with 5 simple steps to whip up hearty nutty bowls of fresh produce.
Make the vinaigrette.
Arrange the salad.
Dress salad with the vinaigrette.
Toss it up.
Garnish fresh parsley and feta cheese on top. Enjoy.
If you want to include more salad in your diet, this delicious healthy salad roundup have a bunch of ideas.
How Long Does Chickpea Salad Last?
This chickpea salad always offers the best taste on the day it is dressed. However, leftover chickpea salad is still great for meal prep as it can keep well in the refrigerator for a whole week.
To store, cover the leftover portion with plastic wrap directly over the surface and put it in the fridge. You can transfer it to the freezer to keep it edible for even longer — possibly 2-3 months.
More Delicious Salad Ideas
Here are some tasty, easy salad recipes that we just couldn’t help but fall in love with:
- Tabbouleh Recipe
- Corn Salad Recipe
- Pea Salad Recipe
- Loaded Potato Salad Recipe
- Cauliflower Risotto Recipe
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Loaded with fresh ingredients that come in vibrant flavors and diverse textures, this chickpea salad recipe gives you a little bit of everything in each spoon you take. You'll find the hearty chickpeas, fresh herbs, creamy tangy feta cheese, and nutty almond kernels working harmoniously with each other for a simple yet fulfilling salad.
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 15 mins
- COURSE Side Dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 233 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 12 ozcanned chickpeas
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tspItalian seasonings
- 0.5 tsporegano
- 0.3 tspground black pepper
- 1 tsptraditional Dijon mustard
- 0.3 tspsalt
- 1 ozred onion (finely diced)
- 6 oztomatoes (diced)
- 4 ozcucumber (diced)
- 1 ozalmond (sliced)
- 1 tbspparsley
- 0.5 ozfeta cheese (crumbled)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Italian seasonings, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp salt. Whisk until well blended.
Arrange 1 oz red onion, 6 oz tomatoes, 4 oz cucumber, 1 oz almonds, and 12 oz canned chickpeas on the serving plate.
Dress salad with the vinaigrette.
Toss everything together.
Garnish 1 tbsp parsley and 0.5 oz feta cheese crumbles on top. Enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer