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If you love fresh and crunchy salads then you’ll love my chickpea salad with lemon vinaigrette! Chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, feta, and fresh herbs are tossed together in a zesty lemon dressing. It’s packed with fiber and protein and can served as a side dish or it makes a great lunch.
Once the weather gets warm I start craving more fresh salads. I love a good lettuce based salad, like my chicken BLT salad and berries and feta salad. However, I really love salads that use a mix of veggies and beans. The texture in them is so crisp, crunchy, and satisfying!
I love making salads with garbanzo beans because they hold up well in the fridge for several days. They’re perfect for lunch meal prep or a fiber-forward side dish.
I have multiple chickpeas salad recipes on the blog, I listed some of my favorites below. This chickpea salad with lemon vinaigrette is a great all-purpose chickpea salad that pairs well with any type of protein and is a great salad to take to cookouts and spring and summer gatherings.
The feta, lemon, and fresh herbs remind me of a Mediterranean chickpea salad and you can easily customize it with more veggies or veggies of your choice. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredient Notes
Chickpeas – Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans have a firm, slightly mealy texture. I love using them in salads because they hold up well for multiple days and don’t break down like other beans.
Cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes – The veggies for the chickpea salad. I love the crisp fresh flavors of the cucumbers, peppers, and onion, paired with the sweetness of the tomatoes. I suggest using either and English cucumber or my favorite, Persian cucumbers. You don’t need to peel or remove the seeds. Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers work best for this salad because they are sweeter than green bell peppers. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are also recommended because they’re sweeter and all you have to do is cut them in half.
Fresh herbs – Fresh dill and parsley bring this salad to life! The vibrant flavors work perfectly with the veggies and lemon dressing. Dried dill can be used in place of fresh, but the flavor won’t be as good. If you don’t like dill, try replacing it with chives.
Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is essential for the best flavor in the lemon vinaigrette. Bottled lemon juice isn’t the same.
Dijon mustard – Dijon adds a little tang and helps to emulsify the vinaigrette.
Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is best for vinaigrettes and dressings. The flavor is better than regular olive oil.
Honey – I like to add a little honey to the vinaigrette to balance the tartness of the lemon juice. If you prefer to skip it you can and for a sweeter vinaigrette add an extra teaspoon.
Garlic powder – I prefer to use garlic powder because I find that raw garlic can sometimes overpower the other flavors in the salad.
Tips for Making Chickpea Salad
- Canned chickpeas. There’s no need to cook your own chickpeas for this salad unless you want to. Canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed work great.
- Prep ahead of time. The lemon vinaigrette can be made several days ahead of time and stored in a glass jar with a lid. Shake well before pouring it onto the salad. I often chop the bell pepper, red onion, and cucumber the day before I plan to serve it to cut down on prep. Wait to cut the tomatoes because they’ll lose some of their flavor and texture once they’re refrigerated.
- Stir the feta in last. The feta should be gently stirred in at the end in order to keep it from breaking down into a pasty mess. The presentation looks nicer and the texture of the cubes of feta is preserved.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use different veggies. You can easily substitute or add veggies to the chickpea salad. Zucchini, artichokes, roasted red peppers, or avocado would all work well.
- Add whole grains or pasta. Add a whole grain such as farro or quinoa. Orzo or other small pasta shapes would also be delicious and make the salad heartier. I suggest adding 1-2 cups cooked grains or pasta.
- Make it vegan. Skip the feta and swap the honey in the lemon vinaigrette with maple syrup to make it a vegan chickpea salad.
- Add protein. To boost the protein in this salad, add diced chicken or rotisserie chicken. My Greek chicken bites would work well with the flavors. Shrimp would also pair well with the veggies and lemon.
What to Serve with Chickpea Salad
This is a great salad to have for lunch. I like to pair it with avocado toast, a piece of sourdough bread, or cornbread muffins.
You can also serve it as a side dish with dinner or at cookouts and picnics. It’s a great summer salad that I love to pair with Greek chicken skewers, potato salad, dill pickle pasta salad, and berry fruit salad.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Leftover chickpea salad will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. The fresh herbs will darken slightly as they sit in the vinaigrette and the feta will break down a bit. If you are making the salad more than an hour in advance, wait to stir in the feta and herbs.
Easy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Chickpea Salad
- 1 (14 ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced Persian or English cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper diced
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
- 4 ounces feta cut into cubes
Instructions
- In a jar with a lid or a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette. Shake or whisk together until well combined.
- Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, and herbs into a large mixing bowl or salad bowl. Pour in the vinaigrette and stir everything together.
- Add the cubes of feta to the salad and gently stir them in. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh this was so delicious! I was craving something fresh and healthy and this fit the bill. Super easy to make, also. My store did not have fresh dill so I used the chives as suggested and they were perfect. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you Danae ❤️
I’m so happy you loved the salad Jenny, thank you for trying it!
Chickpea salad is such a satisfying and versatile dish! I love how hearty chickpeas make it feel substantial without being heavy. The bright Mediterranean flavors here sound perfect. Great protein-packed meal prep option!