This Chickpea Cranberry Salad with creamy feta dressing is fresh, festive, and full of flavor — a colorful mix that’s easy to make, packed with protein, and perfect for holidays or quick weeknight meals.
For more easy salads, check out our Greek yogurt broccoli salad, Greek-inspired bean salad, Mediterranean quinoa salad, and Greek lentil salad.
A Fresh and Festive Salad That’s Both Nourishing and Satisfying
This Chickpea Cranberry Salad is a bowl of color, crunch, and Mediterranean goodness 🥗. It’s the kind of protein-rich salad that keeps you full and satisfied while still feeling light and fresh. The mix of chickpeas, juicy grapes, crisp apples, and tangy feta creates the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and creamy in every bite.
What makes it special is the creamy honey feta dressing — it doubles as a marinade that soaks into the chickpeas, giving them incredible flavor and helping you skip that “from-a-can” taste. Even ten minutes makes a big difference!
Louise and I love serving this as a holiday chickpea salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas 🎄, but it’s just as good as a quick make-ahead salad for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Chickpeas: Use canned for convenience or cook your own chickpeas from dry for a firmer bite. For a twist, try white beans for a softer texture — both are great for a high protein vegetarian salad.
- Dried Cranberries: Add sweet-tart flavor and a festive pop of color. You can substitute with chopped dried cherries, golden raisins, or pomegranate seeds for a similar fruity burst — all perfect for a holiday chickpea salad.
- Celery: Adds crunch and freshness. If you’re out, substitute with chopped cucumber or fennel for a similar crisp feel.
- Apple: A Honeycrisp or Pink Lady gives the perfect sweet-tart contrast. You can swap with pear or even pomegranate seeds for a festive Christmas salad recipe.
- Red Grapes: Seedless red grapes bring juicy sweetness. Green grapes or halved cherries also work beautifully.
- Shallot → Adds mild sweetness and depth. Substitute with red onion for a sharper bite or green onion for a fresher flavor.
- Fresh Parsley: Brings bright, herbal notes. Sub with fresh mint, basil, or arugula for variety.
- Toasted Pecans or Walnuts: Add nutty crunch and healthy fats. Try almonds, pistachios, or sunflower seeds for a healthy holiday side dish.
For the Dressing
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The base of your honey feta dressing. Use avocado oil if that’s what you have, but olive oil gives the best Mediterranean flavor.
- Vinegar → Apple cider, white wine, or red wine vinegar keep the dressing bright and zesty. Fresh lemon juice is a great stand-in.
- Dijon Mustard: Helps emulsify the dressing and adds depth. You can use whole-grain mustard or a little Greek yogurt for creaminess.
- Honey: Balances the tart vinegar and mustard. Substitute with maple syrup or agave for a vegan-friendly option.
- Feta Cheese: Adds saltiness and creaminess. Crumble in just before serving.
How to Make Chickpea Cranberry Salad
Step 1: Make the Creamy Feta Dressing
In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Crumble in the feta and stir to make a creamy, tangy dressing.
Step 2: Marinate the Chickpeas
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, shake off excess water, then add them to the bowl. Toss until fully coated. Let them sit while you prep the other ingredients — even 10 minutes boosts flavor and removes that canned taste.
Step 3: Add the Crunchy Ingredients
Chop the celery, apple, and red onion into small pieces. Halve the grapes, finely chop the parsley, and roughly chop the toasted nuts. Add everything — including cranberries — to the marinated chickpeas and toss until the salad looks glossy and evenly coated. Taste and adjust vinegar, honey, or salt to your liking.
Step 4: Serve or Chill
Serve straight from the bowl or transfer to a platter for a salad with feta and grapes that looks amazing. If prepping ahead, store it in the fridge and take it out 30 minutes before serving — it makes a beautiful holiday chickpea salad everyone will love.
Tips
- Marinate the chickpeas: Let them sit in the honey feta dressing while you prep the other ingredients. Even 10 minutes turns this into a flavorful cold chickpea salad recipe.
- Dry the chickpeas well: After rinsing, shake off as much water as possible so the dressing sticks better.
- Rinse to reduce sodium: Rinsing canned chickpeas removes a good amount of salt from canning. You can also rinse feta under cold water or soak it in clean water the day before — it makes it less salty but still creamy.
- Toast the nuts: Toasting pecans or walnuts in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes makes them extra crunchy and fragrant — perfect for a festive side salad.
- Balance the sweetness: Depending on your apples and grapes, adjust the honey or vinegar to find your perfect sweet-tart balance.
- Make it ahead: This salad tastes even better after chilling. Ideal for a meal prep salad for lunch or to save time during busy holidays.
- Add greens if you like: A handful of arugula, spinach, or chopped kale turns it into a heartier main dish.
- Keep leftovers fresh: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a quick toss before serving again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It’s one of the best easy make ahead salad recipes because the flavors get better as it chills. Just give it a good toss before serving.
Keep it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The texture stays fresh, and it’s great for lunch the next day.
It pairs beautifully with baked fish, stuffed butternut squash, roasted veggies, or holiday mains like turkey or chicken and potatoes — it makes a lovely healthy holiday side dish.
Yes, white beans or cannellini beans work well. Just rinse and drain them before tossing with the dressing.
Rinse canned chickpeas thoroughly and soak the feta in clean water for a few hours (or overnight) to remove extra salt.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Greek yogurt cabbage slaw
- Chickpea cucumber salad with life-changing marinade
- Apple chickpea salad
- Marinated three bean salad
- Dense white bean salad
- Healthy broccoli cauliflower salad
- Mashed chickpea salad
- Black bean corn salad
If you tried this Chickpea Cranberry Salad recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Chickpea Cranberry Salad (Creamy Feta Dressing)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed — 15 oz / 400 g can — or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 apple honeycrisp or pink lady
- 1 heaping cup red grapes best if seedless
- ½ small red onion chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans — chopped
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar sub lemon juice or red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste + black pepper — start with little salt since the feta is already salty
- 1 cup feta crumbled
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper until smooth. Crumble in 1 cup feta and stir to make a creamy, tangy dressing.
- Marinate the Chickpeas: Drain and rinse 1 can chickpeas well, then add them to the bowl. Toss until coated and let sit while you chop the other ingredients — even 10 minutes adds great flavor.
- Add the Crunchy Ingredients: Chop 2 ribs celery, 1 apple, and ½ small red onion. Halve 1 heaping cup red grapes, chop ¼ cup fresh parsley and ½ cup toasted walnuts, then add everything — including ½ cup dried cranberries — to the bowl. Toss until the salad looks glossy and evenly mixed. Taste and adjust vinegar, honey, or salt.
- Serve or Chill: Serve straight from the bowl or on a platter. If making ahead, chill in the fridge and take out 30 minutes before serving — the flavors only get better.
Notes
- Chickpeas → Use canned for convenience or cook from dry for a firmer bite. Try white beans for a softer salad.
- Dried Cranberries → Add sweet-tart flavor and color. Swap with dried cherries, golden raisins, or pomegranate seeds for a holiday chickpea salad twist.
- Celery → Adds crunch and freshness. Replace with chopped cucumber or fennel for the same crisp feel.
- Apple → Honeycrisp or Pink Lady are best. Use pear or pomegranate seeds for a festive Christmas salad recipe.
- Red Grapes → Use green grapes or halved cherries for the same juicy sweetness.
- Shallot → Adds mild sweetness and depth. Substitute with red onion for a bolder flavor or green onion for freshness.
- Fresh Parsley → Bright and herbal. Swap with mint, basil, or arugula for a twist.
- Toasted Pecans or Walnuts → Add nutty crunch and healthy fats. Try almonds, pistachios, or sunflower seeds for a similarly healthy holiday side dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil → Use avocado oil if needed, but olive oil gives the best Mediterranean flavor.
- Vinegar → Apple cider, white wine, or red wine vinegar keep the dressing bright and zesty. Fresh lemon juice is a great stand-in.
- Dijon Mustard → Whole-grain mustard or a spoon of Greek yogurt add the same creaminess.
- Honey → Maple syrup or agave make great vegan swaps.
- Feta Cheese → Adds saltiness and creaminess. Substitute non-dairy feta.
- Marinate the chickpeas: Let them sit in the honey feta dressing while you prep — even 10 minutes boosts flavor.
- Dry the chickpeas well: Shake off extra water after rinsing so the dressing coats them evenly.
- Rinse to reduce sodium: Rinse canned chickpeas and even feta under cold water or soak it overnight — it’s less salty but still creamy.
- Toast the nuts: Toast pecans or walnuts in a dry pan for 3–4 minutes to make them extra crunchy and fragrant.
- Balance the sweetness: Taste and tweak the honey or vinegar depending on how sweet your apples and grapes are.
- Make it ahead: Chill it before serving — ideal as a meal prep salad for lunch or a quick holiday side.
- Add greens if you like: Arugula, spinach, or kale make it heartier and add color.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
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This looks d e l i c i o u s!!!! I plan on making it as written first, but next time maybe use cannellini beans as chickpeas aren’t my favorite – although I do keep cans here for recipes. I’m excited to try this recipe.
I am so happy I came across your site by accident while looking for a certain recipe. I eat a lot of soups/salads/chicken/fish… love your site!!!
Thank you to Nico and to you Louise for the detailed information (substitutions, etc.) you provide in your recipes. I have passed your site on to some friends of mine. Keep up the good work.
I LOVE chick peas and I’m always looking for new recipes that keep for a few days. This one is a big hit with the sweet/ salty /tangy combo. Fantastic salad if you want to get in more fibre.
Absolutely loved this recipe! So quick & easy to make, inexpensive ingredients, and the flavors are beautifully balanced
I’m so happy to hear, Maria!! We also devoured it immediately after making it, so I’m excited you feel the same 😛.
Thank you for taking the time to write your feedback here. Kindest,
Louise