This Mediterranean chickpea salad with feta is made with chickpeas, crisp cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. It is fresh, colorful, and easy to serve as a vegetarian lunch, potluck salad, or side dish with grilled chicken, burgers, or seafood.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta
This chickpea salad is a simple no-cook recipe that works well for summer dinners, potlucks, meal prep, or quick lunches. The chickpeas make it hearty, while the cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and feta keep it fresh and flavorful.
The lemon vinaigrette is light and tangy, so the salad can be served cold or at room temperature. It also holds up better than lettuce-based salads, which makes it a good make-ahead option.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
This salad is made with chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Try to cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces so the salad is easy to scoop and every bite has a little of everything.
For the dressing, you’ll need olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Red wine vinegar also works if you prefer a sharper Mediterranean-style vinaigrette.
Make-Ahead Tips
This salad can be made ahead, but it is best to drain the chickpeas well and avoid adding extra liquid from the tomatoes or cucumber. If making it several hours ahead, toss the salad with only part of the dressing, then add more right before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving, and add a little extra lemon juice or vinegar if the flavor needs refreshing.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Serve this chickpea feta salad as a vegetarian lunch, a potluck side, or a fresh side dish with grilled meats and seafood. It pairs well with:
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 6 servings, as side dish 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A fresh Mediterranean chickpea salad with feta, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 15-ounce cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 English cucumber, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ÂĽ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ÂĽ cup white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ÂĽ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta, and cherry tomatoes.
- In a mason jar or small bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Shake or whisk until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir before serving and adjust with extra lemon juice, vinegar, salt, or pepper if needed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Salt: Feta and Kalamata olives are salty, so start with less salt and add more to taste.
Make-ahead: If making this salad ahead, drain the chickpeas well and add only part of the dressing at first. Toss with more dressing right before serving if needed.
Red onion: For a milder onion flavor, soak the sliced red onion in ice water for 5–10 minutes, then drain.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Salad, Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA AND FETA SALAD
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Excellent dish! Dressing perfect. Eliminated the salt in the salad but used it in the dressing. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Peggy !!
I didn’t have a red onion, so I chopped up a few scallions. didn’t have parsley either. Added couscous. The dressing made it very wet(but I served it right away maybe it would have absorbed into the couscous if I left it for a few hours), so I drained a bit out and it was fine. It was very good and people asked for the recipe. Next time I would decrease or skip the salt, as the olives and feta made it salty enough.
This type of dressing makes a great marinade for chicken.
Made it for the first time today and it is very good! Thanks!
Very good recipe. I absolutely love the serving dish, where did you get that?
This is so yummy! I used balsamic vinegar instead and loved it. Any chance you have nutritional information on this dish?
I’m so glad to have found this recipe! Absolutely delicious, healthy and easy to make. This will be my go-to side dish for my next pot luck party.
Wow! I love this recipe! I normally don’t like vegetables but am trying to eat healthier. I made this recipe and didn’t even put the dressing on it and it was SO good! Thank u for sharing it 🙂
Color was very nice. BUT made it about two hours before picnic and it was VERY watery and really did not have much taste. Will not be making it again. Oh and I followed. directions.
This salad was delicious! Everyone loved it! I prepared all the ingredients the day before and then right before serving mixed it all together and added the dressing. But it was even better the next day!
I agree with you Nancy. Some of these salads are so much better the next day.
This is so good! I made it twice this week and the second time I was out of feta, so I subbed a sharp cheddar and it was still amazing. And so quick to make! Thank you!
Thank you Kristin!
Delicious! I have made this twice but used only 1 can garbanzos each time. Dressing is so good and would work well on a lettuce salad too.
Have made this twice in the past 5 days! My husband loves it! It will be a new go to recipe!
thanks Gwen!
All ingredients at home! I ate two plates! Thanks!
Recipe looks yummy.
Do you think you could make this dressing recipe with lime instead of lemon?
A friend brought this to a party. I absolutely loved it as a side salad, but think it would be perfect on a wrap with some grilled chicken, too. Can’t wait to make it myself when my garden starts producing this summer.
What is cholesterol content ?? I live everything in it but i gotta watch what i eat
Why are you people so picky? She has nothing but great recipes that are healthy and my whole family actually eats !!!
This is an absolutely delicious recipe. Tasty AND beautiful. Do you have the serving size and how many servings info? Any other nutrition info? Thank you!
How many does a single recipe typically serve as a side-salad?
Agree on the previous comment regarding what do you mean by PLANT BASED legumes as being odd, as basically everyone knows legumes are plants. No need for resorting to upper case to remind folks of that fact.
Great recipe though but if a family member happens to be a diabetic, especially type 1, portion control/allowance of legumes and oils, legumes especially, are of the utmost importance.