Description
A quick, fresh, and satisfying Mediterranean chickpea salad with a zesty lemon dressing, perfect for summer lunches or light dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- ½ cup (75 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup (40 g) red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, loosely packed and chopped
- ½ cup (75 g) feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas under cold water until water runs clear, then drain thoroughly.
- Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber into bite-sized pieces, finely chop the red onion, and roughly chop the fresh parsley.
- Pit and slice the Kalamata olives into rings or halves.
- In a small bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Whisk or shake until emulsified and slightly thickened.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, and parsley. Pour the dressing over and gently toss until evenly coated, being careful not to mash the chickpeas.
- If using, crumble feta cheese on top and gently toss to distribute.
- Let the salad rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before serving to allow flavors to meld and onions to soften (optional but recommended).
Notes
Rinse canned chickpeas well to reduce metallic taste and excess salt. Let salad rest before serving for best flavor. Use clean hands to toss to avoid crushing chickpeas. Adjust lemon juice and salt after tasting. Optional feta can be replaced with vegan cheese. Honey can be swapped with maple syrup for vegan dressing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup salad
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 8
- Protein: 9
Keywords: Mediterranean chickpea salad, lemon dressing, summer salad, healthy lunch, easy salad recipe, vegetarian, gluten-free