Chickpea salad is a bright, crunchy salad that’s full of fresh flavor. It’s easy to prep ahead and holds up well in the fridge, making it perfect for lunches or a potluck.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Why Make It: Easy to chop, toss, and chill, and it tastes even better later.
- Flavor: Fresh and bright with crisp vegetables, chickpeas, and a tangy cumin-lemon dressing.
- Tools: This veggie chopper will make prep quick!
- Serving Suggestions: Serve as a side, spoon into pita, or top with grilled chicken or shrimp.
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes work best for a fresh, sweet flavor, but diced tomatoes can be used in a pinch.
- Cucumbers: English or Persian cucumbers stay crisp and don’t need much prep, making them a great choice for this salad. If using garden cucumbers, peel and seed them if they’re watery.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas keep this recipe quick and easy. Be sure to rinse them well for the best flavor and less starch. If using cooked-from-scratch chickpeas, make sure they’re tender but not mushy.
- Green Pepper: Green bell pepper adds a nice crunch to this salad. Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers can be used instead for a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Red Onion: Red onion adds a bit of sharp flavor, so finely dice it to keep it from overpowering the salad. For a milder taste, soak it briefly in cold water before adding.
- Avocado: Avocado is optional, but it adds a creamy contrast to the salad. It’s best added just before serving or lightly tossed with lemon juice to help slow browning.
- Variations: This salad is easy to customize to what you have on hand. Add feta or olives for a salty, briny flavor, or swap the parsley for mint or dill for a fresh twist. Turn it into a meal with grilled chicken, shrimp, or quinoa.
How to Make Chickpea Salad
- Add the salad ingredients and rinsed chickpeas to a bowl (full recipe below).
- Drizzle with oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Toss to combine.
- Chill, then top with optional avocado before serving.
How To Store Chickpea Salad
- Refrigerate: Keep leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keep avocado separate and add it just before serving. If already mixed in, the salad is still safe to eat, but the avocado may soften and darken.
- Serving: Give it a stir before serving since the dressing can settle at the bottom. Refresh leftovers with a small splash of red wine vinegar, olive oil, or lemon juice if needed.
- Freezing: Freezing is not recommended.
What to Serve with Chickpea Salad
Chickpea salad is so versatile. Serve it as a side to your favorite grilled protein or as a main for lunch or meal prep.
Did you enjoy this Chickpea Salad Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups diced cucumber
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 avocado optional
- ½ lemon juiced
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, bell pepper, parsley, and red onion.
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine.
- If using, cut the avocado into cubes and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from ½ of a lemon over the avocado and gently stir to combine. (If not using avocado, squeeze 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice over the salad and toss.)
- Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Store leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 160 | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 989IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
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This salad recipe is versatile and delicious! I opted for orange bell pepper instead of green, and cilantro instead of parsley. It’s good straight up, but I liked it on romaine lettuce with extra dressing from this recipe. I just bought the ingredients for my 2nd batch!
Love it! Easy to make, especially if you’re like me running late for work need something to quickly whip up for lunch.
Thank you
I made this today and added Newmans balsamic vinegar dressing (didn’t have red wine vinegar) and omitted the cumin because my mom is not a fan. Everyone love it. Next time I will make it as written in the recipe Thank you Holly for a tasty healthy summer salad recipe!!!
So good!!!!!!!
I wanna see more recipes like this, cold non cooking raw recipes!
I am looking forward to making this for a family get together! Has anyone tried using balsamic vinegar instead of red wine? Holly, I would like your opinion on this as well.
I haven’t tried balsamic but I think it would go well with the other flavors in this recipe. It can be a bit stronger than red wine vinegar so perhaps start with a bit less, taste and add more as needed. Enjoy!
Thanks for your feedback!
Love this salad. Am currently (1) recovering from foot surgery and fending off inactivity weight gain and (2) undergoing a kitchen renovation so need simple recipes that can be assembled on a makeshift surface. This salad has been a staple for the past week. Easy to make, flavorful, healthy, filling because it’s packed with water, fiber, healthy fat, and bean protein. Simply wonderful.
Excellent…so fresh tasting and good for you!
Sounds healthy and good! I’ll comment after I try some recipes.
YUM! I love this salad. I bring it to church potlucks and it’s always gone, sometimes before I even get any.
Sound great. Will. Try it will meat balls on tomatoe sauce
Great idea Lorraine.
Hi, I’d like to try making this recipe for my prep-meal for the week. What I want to ask is, how should I store it in the fridge, with dressing or without it? What if I want to put feta cheese, should I toss it and store it together with the veggies? And what if I also put quinoa?
If you’re planning to keep it for the week, I’d suggest that you add the dressing each day to keep the salad as fresh as possible. I’d suggest adding the feta to the top, but mixing in quinoa ahead should work just fine. Enjoy Sweetta!
Holly, thank you for a simple and delicious recipe. My teenage daughters, and especially my husband loved the Chickpea Salad. My husband said, “This recipe is a keeper!” I will put it in my rapporteur of recipes, and will be making it soon.
I followed the recipe exact, but used cilantro instead of parsley.
I am so glad your family enjoyed this salad Lisa!
I made this recipe for my mom and I, we both think it’s incredible! Thank you for the recipe!
That’s awesome Savannah. So happy you both loved it!
Thanks for your recipe!
You’re welcome Hien!
Hi Holly! Thanks for the great recipe! What you would recommend as a serving size of this for lunch?
Hi Marissa, our nutritional information is calculated with a serving size of ~1.5 cups.
I need to eat more veggies, this is a way to start.i love salad.
This is a great way to start Gwendolyn! Enjoy.
Thank you for healthy recipes!!!
So glad we could help Jan! Thank you for stopping by.
Hi Holly,
Is there a button where you can change the serving size from 6 servings to 4?
Thanks,
Renee
Hi Renee, sorry we don’t have a button to convert servings on our website.
Good salad
Thank you Gloria!
This salad is delicious!! I love it with the cilantro in it!! The cumin is not overpowering at all. Great mixture of flavor!!
I am so glad that you enjoyed the salad Melinda!