Chickpea Salad

This healthy chickpea salad is loaded with fresh veggies, tossed in a zesty lemon dressing, and bursting with Mediterranean flavor. A high-protein, no-cook recipe you’ll make on repeat all summer long.

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Why You’ll Love This Chickpea Salad

• Ready in just 20 minutes with no cooking required
• Packed with plant-based protein and fiber
• Bright flavors from lemon, fresh herbs, and vegetables
• Perfect side dish for meal prep, potlucks, or light lunches
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to customize

Ingredients for Chickpea Salad

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh lemon juice – If you don’t have fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar is a good acidic substitute. Start with a little less and adjust to taste.
• Dijon mustard
• Minced garlic
• Sea salt – or substitute with kosher salt
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• Canned chickpeas – or use cooked garbanzo beans
• Multicolored grape tomatoes – or use plain red grape or cherry tomatoes
• Red bell pepper
• English cucumber
• Red onion
• Kalamata olives
• Fresh flat leaf parsley – or substitute with chopped cilantro for a different flavor
• Fresh dill weed
• Optional additions: crumbled feta cheese, chopped fresh mint leaves, diced avocado

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Chickpea Salad

1. Make the dressing: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
2. Combine the salad: In a large bowl, add chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, and olives. Toss to mix.
3. Add fresh herbs: Stir in fresh parsley and dill.
4. Dress the salad: Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
5. Garnish and serve: Sprinkle remaining dill on top just before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Use fresh lemon juice – Bottled juice won’t give the same bright, zesty flavor.
• Chop veggies evenly – Uniform pieces help with texture and even flavor in every bite.
• Chill before serving – Let the salad sit in the fridge for 30–60 minutes to enhance flavor and freshness.
• Soak red onion – If the onion is too sharp, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the bite.
• Make it ahead – This vegan chickpea salad tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions

• Make-Ahead: Prepare the salad a few hours or even a day in advance. The flavors continue to develop as it sits, making it even more delicious the next day.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: No reheating needed. This salad is best served cold or at room temperature.
• Freeze: Not recommended, as the vegetables and chickpeas lose their texture once thawed.

More Fresh Salad Recipes to Try

• Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad
• Waldorf Salad
• Fritos Corn Salad

If you’ve tried this Chickpea Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

5 from 1 vote

Chickpea Salad

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 8

Chickpea salad is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs, all tossed in a zesty lemon dressing. It’s a light, flavorful, healthy side dish that’s perfect for BBQs, picnics, or meal prep.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

Dressing

• ▢ ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Chickpea Salad

• ▢ 31 ounce canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 cups multicolored grape tomatoes halved
• ▢ 1 cup red bell pepper seeded and diced
• ▢ 1 cup diced english cucumber
• ▢ 1 cup chopped red onion
• ▢ 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives halved
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed Divided: ¼ cup for salad, 2 teaspoons for garnish

Instructions

 

• Add the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk to combine.
  ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• Add chickpeas, halved tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, diced english cucumber, sliced onion and halved olives to a large (4-5 quarts) mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
  31 ounce canned chickpeas, 2 cups multicolored grape tomatoes, 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup diced english cucumber, 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, 1 cup chopped red onion
• Add the chopped parsley and ¼ cup chopped dill weed.
  ⅓ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed
• Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to thoroughly combine.
• Garnish with the remaining chopped dill weed just before serving.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage : 

• Make-Ahead: Prepare the salad a few hours or even a day in advance. The flavors continue to develop as it sits, making it even more delicious the next day.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: No reheating needed. This salad is best served cold or at room temperature.
• Freeze: Not recommended, as the vegetables and chickpeas lose their texture once thawed.

Tips: 

• Bottled lemon juice won’t give the same bright, zesty flavor.
• Uniform pieces help with texture and even flavor in every bite.
• Let the salad sit in the fridge for 30–60 minutes to enhance flavor and freshness.
• If the onion is too sharp, soak it in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the bite.
• This vegan chickpea salad tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1025mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1317IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg

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