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.
Variations
There are so many ways to change up this salad and keep things exciting. Here are some of our favorite versions:
- Lettuce – you can make this a chopped green salad by adding some chopped romaine lettuce (and make a little extra dressing)
- Fresh Herbs – If you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute it with finely chopped fresh parsley, chives, dill, or a combination – adding them to taste.
- Tomatoes – you can use colorful tomatoes, chop up a large heirloom tomato (hello garden-grown!), or even diced Roma tomatoes work well.
- Bell Pepper – add diced yellow, red, green, or orange bell pepper
- Olives – try pitted chopped Kalamata olives for a tangy punch of flavor
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:
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:
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Chickpea Salad loaded with crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, feta cheese and chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Fresh, healthy and protein packed!
Servings: 6 as a side salad
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 English Cucumber, halved and sliced
- 15 oz chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese, diced
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl: 3 Tbsp olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and whisk to combine (or shake them together in a small mason jar).
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Combine the remaining chickpea salad ingredients in a salad bowl.
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Add the dressing to taste (we used all of it) and toss gently to coat.
302kcal Calories27g Carbs10g Protein17g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
