Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon (Printable Version)
Vibrant salad featuring chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Light, refreshing, and ready in just 15 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Salad
01 - 2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Lemon Vinaigrette
09 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, feta cheese if using, and fresh parsley.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
03 - Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated with dressing.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.
# Helpful Tips:
01 -
- The salad keeps beautifully for three days in the fridge, actually improving as the flavors meld together like old friends catching up.
- Its one of those rare dishes that feels both satisfyingly hearty and refreshingly light, perfect for those evenings when you want something substantial without feeling weighed down.
02 -
- Adding the feta last, right before serving, keeps it from breaking down and becoming lost in the dressing.
- The salad actually tastes better at room temperature than straight from the refrigerator, so if youve chilled it, let it sit out for about 15 minutes before serving.
03 -
- For an instant flavor upgrade, toast your chickpeas in a dry skillet until slightly crisp before cooling and adding to the salad - the textural contrast is worth the extra five minutes.
- When serving for a crowd, make this in a wide, shallow bowl rather than a deep one, which allows guests to see all the colorful ingredients and makes tossing with the dressing much easier.