This Easy Greek Chickpea Salad takes less than 15 minutes to throw together and is the perfect make ahead recipe to meal prep for a few days. Packed with fresh veggies and protein from chickpeas, this salad is filling for a satisfying lunch or hearty side with grilled chicken or fish.
This salad is basic, fresh, flavorful and also perfect for a picnic or party as it tastes better the longer it sits as the flavors meld and come together. I like to eat this salad on big leaves of romaine lettuce so I can pick it up like a taco, but it’s perfect just on it’s own. You can also tuck this as a delicious filling inside a pita if you want something handheld. Not pictured in this post are the crumbled pita chips I sometimes add for extra crunch. You know how much I love croutons!
This dish has all of the traditional elements of Greek salad – tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, peppers, olives and feta, with the addition of chickpeas. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are my absolute favorite, must have pantry staple. It’s such a versatile ingredients for salads, soups and stews, dips and even desserts! Have you checked out these Chocolate Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookie Bars yet? You need them in your life.
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Why should I eat more chickpeas?
Chickpeas have a range of nutrients and just one cup provides about a third of the days recommended protein for an adult. If you’re trying to cut back on meat, get yourself acquainted with chickpeas as a healthy addition to your diet.
Did you know that chickpeas are the most popular legume in the world? They can also help you live longer. Check out some of the health benefits of chickpeas in this post from the Harvard School of Health.
The dressing for this salad is also super simple and comes together in about 2 minutes. The recipe below calls for fresh oregano but if you don’t have that on hand, I recommend just adding a teaspoon of dried oregano to the dressing. This basic vinaigrette recipe with good olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard and a little salt and pepper is great on pretty much any salad so keep it in your go to repertoire.
Tips for making this Easy Greek Chickpea Salad
Use a thin skinned English cucumber. Cucumbers add crunch and freshness to any dish and English cucumbers have fewer, smaller seeds for a sweeter, less bitter bite. Also, you never have to peel them.
Mix your veggies, chickpeas and dressing together first, then fold in the feta. This way your cheese cubes stay in tact while mixing!
Let the salad hang out for an hour or so before serving to allow the flavors to meld and come together. This also keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days so it’s perfect to make the night before for a party or as part of your Sunday meal prep routine.
*This post contains affiliate links — please see my disclosure for details*
Easy Greek Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can of chickpeas drained
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup or about half of an English cucumber seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- ½ cup bell pepper diced
- ½ cup kalamata olive halved
- ½ cup feta cheese cut into cubes
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves optional
Dressing
- 4 tbsp good olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- ½ lemon juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add veggies and chickpeas to a bowl.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl and pour into veggies. Stir to combine.
- Add feta cubes and gently incorporate.
- Chill in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
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