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Light, flavorful, and loaded with crunchy goodness, this delicious protein-packed salad is destined to become your new favorite recipe in no time! Ready to serve in just 15 minutes, Mediterranean Chickpea Salad doubles as a grab-and-go lunch as well as a fantastic picnic recipe and side dish.
While my first love is, of course, southern food, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes are other favorites of mine. This chickpea salad has everything you could want from a dish; it’s incredibly flavorful, uses fresh ingredients, and it’s easy to double or triple for lunches or feeding a crowd.
Since chickpeas are such a common ingredient in middle eastern cooking, there are tons of different versions of this recipe, depending on the region. My version of Chickpea Salad is inspired by traditional Lebanese Balela.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is super versatile. You can top it with a fried egg for breakfast, serve it over spinach for lunch, and then enjoy it as a side dish with grilled chicken for supper.
It’s an ideal make-ahead salad recipe for mason-jar lunches, and it’s a family favorite dish for potlucks and cookouts!
Make This Recipe For…
- Picnics
- Cookouts and Potlucks
- Family Gatherings
- Graduation Parties
- Game Day and Tailgating
- Casual Entertaining
- Birthday Celebrations
- Holidays
Ingredients Needed To Make Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
- Chickpeas – drained
- Cucumber – diced
- Tomatoes – diced
- Red Pepper – diced
- Red Onion – diced, can substitute shallots
- Feta – cubed, size depending on personal preference
- Fresh Italian Parsley – chopped
- Fresh Mint – chopped
- Fresh-Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Garlic Clove – grated
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Coriander – optional
PRO TIP: The ingredient amounts are completely dependent on personal preference! I’m a tomato lover, so I usually chop an extra tomato and add it in. If you’re an herb lover, toss in extra parsley and mint, you get to choose which flavors shine in your salad.
How To Make This Chickpea Salad
The amazing thing about this recipe is that once all your veggies are chopped, you just have to mix it all together, and then you’re ready to serve.
To Prepare the Dressing
- To a mason jar, add lemon juice, grated garlic, honey, olive oil, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Place the lid on the jar and shake until your dressing is well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings/flavor based on personal preferences.
To Prepare the Salad
- Add drained chickpeas, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, feta, parsley, and mint to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir the mixture together until all ingredients are equally distributed.
- Pour half of the dressing over the Chickpea Salad and toss the mixture together until the dressing has evenly coated all the ingredients.
- Taste the salad and drizzle on more dressing if desired, adjust seasoning based on personal preference. Toss ingredients together again, then serve and enjoy!
How To Serve Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
There are so many great ways to serve this Chickpea Salad. Since it’s so protein-packed, you can eat it as a whole meal for lunch, but it doesn’t stop there. You can serve it as a side dish for chicken, fish, beef, or lamb recipes, as well as an appetizer with Homemade Pita Chips.
A couple of my favorite ways to prepare this dish include…
- Making it a Wrap – use the Chickpea Salad as the filling for a pita wrap
- Grab-and-Go Mason Jar Lunch – you can pour a little extra dressing into the bottom of a mason jar, top it with a handful of spinach and then add the Chickpea Salad on top. Close the jar, then when you’re ready to eat, you can just shake the jar and empty it out into a bowl.
- Using it as a Topping – this flavorful salad is a delicious topping or side dish for so many main dishes. Whether you serve Chickpea salad with grilled chicken or beef, it’s sure to be a favorite!
Tasty Additions and Substitutions for Chickpea Salad
I am a big believer in making recipes work for you! If you’re not a fan of an ingredient, then leave it out or replace it with one of these delicious add-ons.
Additions
- Pomegranate seeds
- Za’atar seasoning
- Sliced Olives
- Toasted Pine Nuts
- Couscous, Quinoa or Bulger
Substitutions
- Shallots or Scallions instead of red onions
- Avocado oil instead of Olive oil
- Curry Powder instead of Cumin
- Fresh Dill instead of Mint
How To Store This Recipe
As long as you don’t eat it all in one sitting, which can definitely happen, it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Make sure you keep it sealed up in an airtight container.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Sunshine Fruit Salad
- Classic Cowboy Caviar
- Walking Taco Bar
- Stuffed Party Mushrooms
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed
- 1 Garlic Clove – grated
- 2 tablesppon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Cumin – can use up to a teaspoon, depending on personal preference
- 3/4 teaspoon Coriander – optional, depending on preference
- Sprinkle of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – amount depending on personal preference
- Salt and Pepper To Taste – amount depending on personal preference
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cans Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) – drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Cucumber – diced
- 1 cup Tomatoes – diced
- 1/2 cup Red Onion – diced, can substitute shallots or scallions
- 2/3 cup Bell Pepper – diced, any color pepper you'd like to use will work
- 1/2 cup Feta – cubed, size depending on personal preference
- 1/2 cup Fresh Italian Parsley – chopped
- 1/3 cup Fresh Mint – chopped, can use up to 1/2 cup is desired
Instructions
To Prepare the Dressing
- To a mason jar, add lemon juice, grated garlic, honey, olive oil, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Place the lid on the jar and shake until your dressing is well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings/flavor based on personal preferences.
To Prepare the Lebanese Chickpea Salad
- Add drained chickpeas, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, feta, parsley and mint to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir mixture together until all ingredients are equally distributed.
- Pour half of the dressing over the Chickpea Salad and toss mixture together until dressing has evenly coated all the ingredients. Taste the salad and drizzle on more dressing if desired, adjust seasoning based on personal preference. Toss ingredients together again, then serve and enjoy!
Mary says
The recipe looks wonderful, however, to print it is almost impossible with all the adds and no print button.
Donya says
Hey there Mary!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re going to love the bright, fresh flavors. If you scroll all the way down to the recipe card and click the ‘Print Recipe’ button, it will redirect to a page with no adds to print the recipe from. I hope this is helpful, I’d love to hear how everything turns out if you give it a try, I hope you enjoy!
~Donya
Rose says
This is a fantastically fast and flexible salad–light yet still filling, and wonderfully colorful. A new favorite for sure!
Donya says
Hey there Rose!
Wow! Reading this comment has made my day, I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! I couldn’t agree with you more, it’s a super flexible and versatile dish that you serve in so many different creative ways. If you ever have any questions about another recipe, please don’t hesitate to ask, I’d be more than happy to help. Thank you so much for your fabulous rating and your kind words, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
Michael says
I have had this salad and loved it! Especially great once allowed to sit overnight, making the leftovers even better than the first-run tabling!
Donya says
Hey there Michael!
I completely agree with you, this salad makes for fantastic leftovers, it’s super tasty the second day after all those tasty veggies marinate in the dressing! If you enjoyed this recipe, you should check out my Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe, it’s just as easy to make and the dressing is delicious. Thank you so much for your sweet words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate all your support!
~Donya
Meg says
This dish was the superb!! Thank you so much!!! Wowww
Donya says
Hey there Meg!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your phenomenal rating, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it’s a great dish for grab-and-go lunches! If you liked this recipe, you should check out my Cowboy Caviar recipe, it’s just as easy to make and has some fantastic southern flavors!
~Donya
Emma says
Very light and fresh recipe! Great for the summer
Donya says
Hey there Emma!
Thank you so much for this amazing rating, I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! It’s definitely a perfect dish for summer, but it also makes a great side dish all year round. In the winters I like to use it as a filling for pita wraps or place it over spinach for a nice green salad. If you liked this dish, you might like my Sunshine Fruit Salad recipe, it’s just as easy to make with all those bright sweet flavors we love. Thank you again for all your support, if you ever have questions about a dish, I’m here to help!
~Donya
Willow says
This versatile salad screams sunshine and happiness. Can’t wait to take it on my next sunset picnic!
Donya says
Hey there Willow!
I like the way you’re thinking, this recipe is PERFECT for picnics, cookouts, and any other outdoor party! If you liked this recipe, you should check out my BLT Pasta Salad, it’s just as easy to make and it’s perfect for outdoor celebrations. Thank you so much for your sweet words and this phenomenal rating, I really appreciate all your support!
~Donya
Robin says
Super tasty and easy to make. I make it for everyone I know and they all love it!
Donya says
Hey there Robin!
Wow! I really appreciate your support, I am so glad to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, since it’s so easy to make it’s perfect for feeding a crowd! Thank you so much for your kind words and this terrific rating, if you ever have any questions about another recipes I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Kate says
So fresh and delicious!
Donya says
Hey there Kate!
I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, I completely agree with you, this dish is just about as fresh as you can get! Thank you so much for your wonderful rating and kind words, if you ever have any questions about a recipe I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
Catelyn says
As someone who is always looking to add more plant-based proteins to their diet I was so excited to find this recipe! Delicious enough to eat right out of the bowl or in a wrap with some hummus. I found that I only needed about half of the dressing as listed in the recipe to get all of the flavor without too much liquid at the bottom of the bowl. I also love how flexible this recipe is for different kitchens/tastes. As a tomato hater myself, I subbed the diced tomatoes with extras of the other veggies. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Donya says
Hey there Catelyn!
Wow! Reading this has made my day, I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you made a delicious meal! I’ve said it before, but I’m a big believer in making recipes work for your own personal tastes, so I’m thrilled that you made this recipe work for you, substituting tomatoes for other veggies is a great idea. You can also use that extra dressing on all kinds of other salads, it’ll keep in the fridge for about a week. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your phenomenal rating, if you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya
Christine says
Hey. DONYA! I had everything here and love that I did NOT have to use the cheese! Delicious and filling.
Donya says
Hey there Christine!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, I’m with you, I love how customizable this dish is. You can really make it to your personal tastes, adding extra tomatoes or olives. In the post, there is a section for Substitutions and Additions to this recipe, that will give you all kinds of ideas for what to add in place of the feta if you want. Thank you so much for your kind words and your incredible rating, if you ever have questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask!
~Donya