This Greek Chickpea Salad comes together in 15 minutes making a quick and easy lunch or light dinner! Chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives tossed together with fresh herbs, vegan feta and Greek dressing. This chickpea salad is gluten-free, dairy-free and great for meal prep.
This easy vegan Greek Chickpea Salad packs in the bright, fresh flavors, plus a variety of nutrients, and fiber and protein. It’s one of those quick toss-together meals that requires only a bit of chopping. It’s perfect cold salad for summer BBQs or if you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal. If you’re looking to round out this out as a meal, it pairs wonderfully with protein like salmon, chicken, shrimp or tofu.
Since this is a lettuce-free salad, it’s also great for meal prep. I love making at the beginning of the week to have ready to go in the fridge for lunch or a quick protein-packed snack. You can eat it as is or liven it up to make it last a little longer or keep your tastebuds excited. Toss with quinoa or pasta, add it to a pita or wrap, or layer it over some leafy greens. You definitely have options!
Greek Chickpea Salad Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy Greek chickpea salad.
- Chickpeas – canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), makes this recipe comes together quickly. Simply open up a can, drain the liquid, rise and you’re ready to go!
- Grape tomatoes – grape or cherry tomatoes work great! They add a hint of sweetness and a burst of flavor with every bite.
- Cucumbers – I prefer Persian, Hothouse or cocktail cucumbers in this salad as these varieties have a thinner skin but any cucumber will due. You can even peel the skin!
- Red onion – a savory staple ingredient for Greek salad that adds flavor and color. If you find raw red onion to have too harsh of a flavor, you can soak the chopped onion in bowl of ice cold water for a 10-15 minutes before using. After soaking, just drain and use! Soaking the onion helps mellow out the flavor.
- Feta cheese – the feta adds a creaminess and salty tang to the salad. Choose vegan feta to keep this dairy-free. I use this brand of vegan feta. If choosing sheep or cow milk feta, try an purchase organic.
- Kalamata olives – the olives add saltiness and heart healthy fats. If you’re not a fan of olives, capers would be a nice addition. Other if you forgo either of these options, make sure to season your salad dressing with salt or you’ll miss out of a lot of flavor.
- Fresh parsley – this herbs add an additional layer of freshness to the salad. Basil would also work well!
- Greek dressing – I’ve included a simple Greek dressing which is a mix of red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper. If you need a shortcut, this is a great store-bought option!
InGredient Substitutions + Additions
Chickpeas – any white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans, great! Canned beans make this recipe come together quickly. Of course, you can cook your own if you’d like.
Cheese – Using vegan feta cheese makes this salad dairy-free and vegan. You can also use sheep or cow milk feta if you don’t need this to be dairy-free. Crumbled goat cheese is also another option.
Avocado or Pine Nuts – While not traditional, avocado or pine nuts would be a lovely addition especially if you skip the feta or olives. This salad needs a healthy fats for creaminess and flavor.
Dressing – Homemade or store-bought Greek dressing adds another layer of Mediterranean flavor to this salad. But a white or classic balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette wold be great!
How to Serve Chickpea Salad
This chickpea salad take only minutes to come together for a quick lunch, no-fuss side dish or protein-packed snack. Since this salad is lettuce-free it hold up well in the fridge making it perfect for meal prep or to make ahead for gatherings. You can also add the chickpea salad to quinoa or pasta to round out the meal. Here are a few ways to enjoy it:
- On its own right out of the container. This chickpea salad keeps in an airtight container for about 3-5 days. Feta can get a little soggy. If this bothers you, keep it separate and add just before serving.
- Serve over a bed of greens
- Make a meal salad with greens and protein like salmon, shrimp, chicken or tofu. A grilled option would be lovely during the summer!
- Add this chickpea salad to a wrap, pita or tortilla. Add a little tahini or tzatziki for additional Mediterranean flavor!
- Serve as a side along grilled protein like salmon, shrimp, chicken or tofu or even pizza!
More Chickpea Recipes to Try
- Moroccan Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps with Grapefruit and Avocado
- Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
- Chickpea Cookie Dough
If you make this Greek chickpea salad be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe below. I’d love to hear from you, and it encourages others to make the recipe too.
PrintGreek Chickpea Salad
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Greek Chickpea Salad
2, 15oz cans chickpeas
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup diced cucumber, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
1/2 crumbled dairy-free feta or regular feta
1/2 chop chopped parsley
Greek Dressing:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Place the salad indreients in a bowl and toss. If making ahead of time, you may want to leave out the feta and add it just before serving.
To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to an air tight container or mason jar. Place the lid on the container and shake vigorously. Pour the dressing on the salad. You may have extra dressing. I typically use ½ – ⅔ of the dressing and keep the rest in the fridge.
The salad keeps in an air tight container in the fridge fro up to five days.
Notes
Dressing options: if you don’t feel like making the homemade Greek dressing own, you can use a quality store bought dressing. I recommend Primal Kitchen Greek or Olive oil Vinegar.
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