Chickpea Salad Recipe (2024)

Chickpea Salad is loaded with crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and tangy feta cheese. The fresh lemon dressing adds the Mediterranean flavors of classic Greek Salad.

Chickpea salad is easy to make and comes together fast. It’s perfect for lunch since chickpeas are protein-packed, naturally gluten-free, and leave you feeling satisfied.

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Chickpea Salad or Garbanzo Bean Salad?

Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing and can be used interchangeably in this recipe. They are known as chickpeas in the US and Garbanzo beans in Europe.

What are chickpeas? Chickpeas are peach-colored round legumes or seed pods that belong to the pea family. They have a satisfying nutty flavor. They are also the star ingredient of our Hummus Recipe!

Ingredients for Chickpea Salad

Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple but hearty Chickpea Salad:

• Chickpeas – the star ingredient here. You can use canned, drained chickpeas or cook your own. The fastest method is Instant Pot Chickpeas (I make a batch and keep portions in the freezer for this salad).
• Cucumber – use an English cucumber or garden cucumbers and there’s no need to peel.
• Tomato – Cherry or grape tomatoes look great in this salad but you can use other varieties
• Avocado – adds a slight creaminess
• Red onion – you can substitute with chives if you prefer a milder onion flavor
• Feta Cheese – use either crumbled feta or dice up a block of feta
• Cilantro – adds an irresistible freshness, but you can substitute if desired (see variations below)
• Dressing – the combination of extra virgin olive oil, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper is so simple but so flavorful.

Are Chickpeas Good for You?

Chickpeas are nutrient-rich and are a perfect way to add plant-based protein to a salad. They are also a good source of fiber, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and B vitamins (see more nutrition benefits on Healthline).

How to Make Chickpea Salad

This is seriously the easiest salad. Most of the work is in slicing and chopping the ingredients but it comes together quickly.

• Make the Dressing – start with making the dressing for the flavors to meld while you chop the salad. You can whisk the dressing together in a bowl or shake it up in a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.
• Add everything to the salad bowl – combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, chickpeas, feta and cilantro.
• Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat every bite in that tasty dressing.

What to Serve with Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad is as versatile as Greek Salad. Because it has chickpeas, it can be served as a meal in itself or with a side of Sourdough Bread, but we also love to serve this as a side salad with:

• Potatoes – Oven-Roasted Potatoes or Roasted Red Potatoes
• Chicken – try a simple Baked Chicken Breast, or Lemon Chicken
• Salmon – try Grilled Salmon or our famous Baked Salmon
• Shrimp – such as Cilantro Lime Shrimp, Shrimp Scampi, or Grilled Shrimp Skewers
• Beef – excellent with Pan-Seared Steak or Grilled Steak
• Pork – Roasted Pork Tenderloin or Pork Schnitzel

Is this a Make-Ahead Salad?

Yes! Leftover chickpea salad is great for meal prep because it keeps really well in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The lemon juice prevents the avocados from browning, and the taste only gets better as the flavors meld in the refrigerator.

How to Store Chickpea Salad: Cover with plastic wrap directly over the surface of the salad (or transfer to an airtight container) and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Add the salt just before serving to keep the cucumbers and tomatoes from softening. Stir the salad just before serving to redistribute the dressing.

Chickpea salad is a favorite in summer (especially with garden-grown tomatoes and cucumbers), but it’s so good year-round. If you add anything special to your Chickpea Salad, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

More Protein-Packed Salads

Chickpeas make this a feel-good, protein-packed, and satisfying salad. We have an extensive collection of Salad Recipes but we especially love salads with protein because they can be served as a meal in itself and are great for meal planning. Here are some crowd favorites:

• Avocado Chicken Salad
• Egg Salad
• Classic Chicken Salad
• Salmon Cobb Salad
• Autumn Chicken Salad
• Avocado Shrimp Salad
• Avocado Tuna Salad
• Chicken Cobb Salad