Chickpea Salad

Chickpea salad is a lovely main or side dish with crisp veggies, chickpeas, and a gorgeous, tangy dressing. You can make it in 20 minutes with simple ingredients.

For more salads with chickpeas, try Greek chickpea salad, tahini salad, orzo salad, and curry chickpea salad.

Chickpea salad with Creamy Dressing

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

• Chickpeas: Main ingredient; use canned (drained & rinsed) or cooked dried chickpeas. Substitutes: Cannellini beans, black beans, pinto beans, or lentils.

• Tomatoes: Use ripe cherry tomatoes; any variety works if ripe. Substitutes: Roma, plum, grape tomatoes, or red bell pepper.

• Cucumber: Use English, American, Persian, or Kirby cucumbers; peel is optional. Substitutes: Fresh zucchini or yellow summer squash.

• Onion: Finely chopped red onion adds a spicy kick. Substitutes: Shallots or spring onions.

• Olives: Adds healthy fats and savory flavor; use pitted Kalamata or Taggiasche. Substitutes: Generic black or green pitted olives.

• Corn: Adds sweetness and color; use canned or cooked frozen corn. Substitutes: Diced yellow bell pepper.

• Avocado: Adds creaminess and healthy fats; add just before serving to avoid browning.

• Parsley. Substitutes: Basil, mint, chives, dill, or cilantro.

Dressing

• Extra virgin olive oil: A pillar of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil is healthy, flavorful, and nutritious. It’s the base of this dressing.

• Lemon juice: To add acidity and fruitiness. Substitute apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar for fresh lemon juice.

• Honey: For sweetness. Substitute maple syrup, agave syrup, or date syrup.

• Mustard: Use American yellow mustard or Dijon mustard for a savory, tangy, and slightly spicy flavor and to make the dressing creamy so it sticks to the veggies.

• Dried oregano: It adds a Mediterranean spin to the dressing. Substitute ground cumin for an Eastern Mediterranean touch.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

To a medium bowl, add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Whisk well until combined.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add them to the bowl with the dressing. Toss and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes while you cut the vegetables.

To a large mixing bowl, add halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, halved Kalamata olives, finely chopped red onions, corn kernels, finely chopped parsley, and diced avocado.

Tip the dressing with the chickpeas over onto the veggies and toss well.

Taste and adjust for salt before serving as a main course or side dish.

You can make this chickpea salad a complete meal by adding warm pita bread or no-knead focaccia on the side and serving it with a dollop of Greek yogurt, tzatziki, or yogurt tahini sauce.

Storage

Make ahead: Chickpea salad is an excellent meal prep recipe that lasts several days. We recommend it for potlucks and picnics. If you make the salad ahead, add the avocado shortly before serving.

Refrigerator: The salad can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It should be taken out of the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before serving, as it will taste better at room temperature.

Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

Tips

• Marinate the chickpeas: Toss the chickpeas in the dressing first and let them sit for 10 minutes before adding the veggies. This allows them to soak up the tangy flavor and become even more delicious.
• Color and texture: For the best results, combine 4 to 6 different vegetables with a mix of colors and textures.
• Clean up your fridge: This salad is flexible. Swap veggies, herbs, or even the dressing base depending on what’s in your fridge.

More canned chickpea recipes

• Tagine
• Chickpea curry
• Chickpea fritters
• Hummus
• Marry me chickpeas