Chickpea Salad
This chickpea salad recipe uses one bowl, twenty minutes, and fourteen ingredients most of us already keep in the pantry and crisper drawer. Kalamata olives and feta give it a briny edge, while a lemon and red wine vinegar dressing keeps every bite bright.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl - Big enough to toss everything without spilling
- Chef's knife - For dicing cucumber, tomatoes, and onion
- Cutting board - Sturdy
- Citrus juicer - To get the most juice out of the lemon
- Fine Mesh Colander - For draining and rinsing the chickpeas
- Airtight storage containers - For leftovers (glass recommended)
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas - about 860g total, drained and rinsed
- 1 English cucumber - about 300g, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes - about 300g, halved
- 1/2 red onion - about 75g, finely diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives - about 75g, pitted and halved
- 3/4 cup feta cheese - about 115g, crumbled from a block
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley - about 15g, chopped
For the Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil - 45ml
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar - 30ml
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice - 15ml
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano - 2g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt - 3g, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper - 0.5g, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas under cold water, then pat dry thoroughly.
- Dice cucumber, halve tomatoes, finely dice red onion, pit and halve olives, and chop parsley.
- Combine chickpeas, vegetables, and crumbled feta in a large bowl.
- Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Let the salad rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use a block of feta and crumble it yourself instead of buying pre-crumbled feta, which doesn't absorb the dressing as well.
- Dry the chickpeas thoroughly after rinsing so the dressing doesn't get diluted.
- Salt the salad in stages, tasting after the dressing goes in rather than guessing all the salt up front.
- Cut the cucumber and tomatoes into similar-sized pieces so every bite has a mix of textures.
- If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and toss it in within an hour of serving for the freshest texture.
- Swap red wine vinegar for white wine vinegar if you want a slightly milder tang.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the dressing if you like a little heat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Keep the dressing separate from the vegetables if you're prepping more than a day ahead.
- Do not freeze this salad as cucumber and tomatoes turn mushy once thawed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 8gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 480mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 10mg
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