Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This Mediterranean chickpea salad is filled with crisp, healthy veggies, protein-loaded chickpeas, fresh herbs & salty feta cheese, then topped with a tangy vinaigrette.

This hearty, beautiful Mediterranean chickpea salad was healthy, delicious, and a great way to start the new year eating better! I hope you all had a nice holiday break–it was just the four of us this year, and we all stayed home because Oregon is under strict lockdown right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a strange way to celebrate the holidays, but we made the best of it, and it was really nice to spend lots of time with my husband, kids, and pets. This easy Greek chickpea salad paired nicely with spatchcocked chicken with lemon wine sauce, roasted asparagus, and dinner rolls.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Pinch of sugar, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Salad:

• 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed **Remove any loose chickpea 1skins
• 1 English cucumber, chopped
• ½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup kalamata olives, halved
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced **Soak slices in ice water first if they are too strong in flavor
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
• 2-3 tbsp feta cheese crumbles
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

How to Make a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:

Make the vinaigrette by combining the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste, in a glass jar. Seal with a lid and shake well. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Make the salad by combining the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato halves, kalamata olives, red onion, parsley, and dill together in a bowl.

Shake the vinaigrette until well combined, then drizzle over the salad and gently toss until evenly coated. Top with feta cheese crumbles. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste, if needed.

Serve and enjoy.