Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is an easy, healthy salad made with chickpeas, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta, and a light red wine vinaigrette. It is hearty enough to stand alone as a light main entree, as a delicious side dish, or even as a filling for a chickpea wrap.

This simple and healthy Chickpea Salad recipe takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and is packed with Mediterranean flavors, like fresh tomatoes, oregano, olives, and feta---some of my favorite foods ever!

The flavors and textures of this chickpea salad are also perfectly balanced. The chickpeas are slightly creamy, the olives add a salty kick, the cucumbers add a crunch and freshness, and the tomatoes add a burst of juicy sweetness. The simple dressing brings everything together with subtle flavors and the feta cheese finishes this salad with a salty bite.

This Chickpea Salad is an uncomplicated, easy recipe that packs an incredible amount of flavor.

Notes on Key Ingredients

• Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas or prepare Instant Pot Chickpeas to prepare this salad. If using dried chickpeas, keep in mind you may find you need to adjust the salt after preparing for the best flavor.
• Kalamative Olives: Don't skimp and use black olives, Kalamative olives have superior flavor. Just be sure to purchase pitted olives to save yourself a headache.
• English Cucumber: A regular garden cucumber can be used in place of a seedless cucumber, but you will need to peel and remove seeds before dicing to keep this chickpea salad from getting watery.
• Tomatoes: Any fresh, ripe variety of tomatoes works in this salad. Cherry and grape tomatoes need to be just cut in half, while larger, vine-ripened or Roma tomatoes need to be diced and deseeded.
• Onion: In order for the onion to not overwhelm the salad, choose a sweeter onion, such as a Vidalia or red onion.
• Feta: Crumbled feta cheese adds so much flavor to the chickpea salad, but can be omitted if you want a dairy-free or vegan-friendly chickpea salad.
• Chickpea Salad Dressing: A simple combination of garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano are all that are required for this red wine vinaigrette.

How to Make Chickpea Salad

• In a large bowl toss together the chickpeas, cucumbers, olives, onion, tomatoes, and feta, if using, together in a large bowl.

• In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, oregano, salt, garlic, and olive oil until well combined.

• Drizzle dressing over chickpea mixture and toss to combine.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes for optimum flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This Mediterranean Chickpea salad is incredibly versatile and can be served chilled or at room temperature and in a variety of different ways. It can be served cold or at room temperature, making this an ideal dish for potlucks or to pack in a lunch for work or school. Below are some of my favorite ways to serve this Chickpea Salad.

• Serve this Chickpea Salad on the side of Chicken Gyros or Greek Chicken for a delicious Mediterranean-inspired dinner.
• Make a large batch on Sunday and serve as a Gluten-Free Lunch throughout the week.
• Thanks to the hearty chickpeas, this Meditteranean Chickpea Salad makes a hearty salad or a light meatless entree.
• Fill pita bread with the Chickpea Salad and a dollop of Tzatziki sauce for lunch on the go!
• Serve with pita chips as a refreshing and unique dip when entertaining.
• Use leftover chickpea salad as a filling for an omelet for an insanely delicious breakfast.

Storage Instructions

Chickpea Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. However, I find it has the best texture when used after 3 days, as the cucumbers can get a bit soggy.

Recipe Variations

• Feel to add up roasted peppers, pepperoncini, green olives, capers, or parsley, for additional flavor.
• For a Vegan Chickpea Salad or a dairy-free salad, simply omit the feta cheese. You may need an additional ½-1 teaspoon salt to replace the saltiness that the feta provides.
• If you don't like onions, omit them!

More Easy Mediterranean-Inspired Recipes

• Tabbouleh Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous
• Mediterranean Frittata
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Copycat Panera Greek Salad

Whether you are serving this chickpea salad as a simple side dish, using it to fill pita bread, or serving it as a salad, I would love to hear how you enjoyed it! 

This post was originally published in 2017 but was updated in 2020 with new process shots and tips.