Chickpea Salad

Fresh veggies, herbs, and a zesty dressing add bold flavor to this chickpea salad recipe. Healthy and satisfying, it's perfect for picnics and lunches!

Chickpea salad

You can never have enough chickpea salad recipes in your back pocket, right? I definitely feel that way, and I hope you do too, because even though there are already *several* chickpea salads on this blog, this NEW chickpea salad recipe is a total keeper.

It’s filled with fresh Mediterranean flavors—crispy cucumbers play off juicy tomatoes, which in turn contrast with the tender chickpeas. Briny olives and pickled onions add a delicious pop, and handfuls of herbs freshen the whole thing up. A zippy lemon dressing ties it all together.

This chickpea salad is healthy, satisfying, flavorful, and fresh. It’s exactly the sort of thing I like to make for picnics and lunches throughout the summer. Just add a side of sunshine to make it a meal. Enjoy!

Chickpea salad recipe ingredients

Chickpea Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this chickpea salad recipe:

  • Chickpeas, of course! Also known as garbanzo beans, these trusty legumes are packed with fiber and plant-based protein. You’ll need two cans for this recipe, or 3 cups cooked. Learn how to cook dried chickpeas with my guide to cooking dried beans.
  • Grape tomatoes – Use a mix of yellow and red to give this salad a beautiful variety of colors. Cherry tomatoes are fair game too!
  • English cucumber – For crunch! I like to use English cucumbers here because of their thin skins and minimal seeds. If regular cucumbers are all you can find, peel and seed them before chopping them up and adding them to the salad.
  • Pickled red onions – They add a pop of tangy flavor. No time to pickle? Sliced green onion would work here too.
  • Kalamata olives – For salty, briny flavor.
  • Fresh parsley, dill, and mint – They make this salad unbelievably aromatic and fresh. I especially love how the dill brings out the tang of the pickled onions and dressing.
  • And the lemon dressing – This zesty dressing brings the whole salad together! It’s a simple blend of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Hand whisking lemon dressing in large bowl

How to Make This Chickpea Salad

This chickpea salad recipe is super simple to make! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper at the bottom of a large bowl.

Garbanzo beans, pickled onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and olives in large bowl

Next, add the chickpeas, olives, pickled onions, and veggies. Toss to coat these hearty ingredients in the dressing.

Adding herbs to chickpea salad

Then, add the fresh herbs. Toss again, making sure the salad ingredients are well combined.

Hands using wooden spoons to toss Mediterranean chickpea salad in large bowl

Finally, season to taste and serve! If I’m making this salad for a summer gathering or special occasion, I like to shower it with more fresh mint leaves before serving.

Chickpea salad recipe on three individual plates

Chickpea Salad Recipe Variations

I love this chickpea salad recipe as written, but it’s totally flexible. Feel free to change it up! Toss in your favorite ingredients, or use what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Change up the veggies. Toss in diced red bell pepper or roasted red peppers along with the tomatoes and cucumber. Blanched green beans or avocado would be great here too.
  • Add a cheese. This recipe is currently vegan, but if you’re not, there’s no reason you couldn’t add some cheese. Crumbled feta cheese would be particularly good.
  • Make it a green salad. Serve the garbanzo bean salad over a bed of chopped romaine lettuce.

Let me know what variations you try!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

This chickpea salad keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Make it ahead to serve as a side dish at a summer potluck or picnic, or pack it up for lunch.

Tip: The fresh mint will darken and wilt as it sits in the dressing. If you make this salad more than an hour or two in advance, wait to add the mint until you’re ready to serve.

Chickpea salad recipe

More Protein-Packed Salad Recipes

If you love this chickpea salad, try one of these high protein salads next:

Can’t get enough chickpeas? Try this chickpea salad sandwich next!

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Chickpea Salad

rate this recipe:
5 from 53 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
This easy chickpea salad recipe is satisfying and delicious. Filled with protein-packed garbanzo beans, fresh vegetables, and a zesty lemon dressing, it's a perfect picnic side dish or healthy lunch.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
  • Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled onions, and olives and toss to coat. Add the parsley, dill, and mint and toss again.
  • Season to taste, garnish with fresh mint leaves, and serve.

103 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Shannon H
    06.24.2023

    5 stars
    I love to entertain and this salad will definitely be in the rotation! So fresh and perfect for summer. I added feta and it was the perfect addition per your suggestion. Another win!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  2. Connie
    06.24.2023

    This is a winner! Will have on repeat this summer. Its easy to switch up the veggies, packed with flavour, and simple. THANK YOU!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2023

      Hi Connie, I’m so glad you loved it!

  3. Nicole Guerin
    06.24.2023

    This was so fresh and tasty! I used fresh herbs from my garden and it was amazing! Now I can’t wait to make it again once my cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are ready to harvest!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  4. Morgen Drasnin
    06.21.2023

    5 stars
    A delicious salad! Leftovers lasted for many days in the fridge, and were repurposed to top both a salad of greens, and later a baked sweet potato.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.22.2023

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  5. Nicole Hale
    06.21.2023

    5 stars
    Great flavor, thank you!

  6. Bridget Cassun
    06.21.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious! So fresh and tangy; I f ollowed the recipe exactly! I especially loved the fresh herbs and pickled onions; definitely will be making this again!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.21.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  7. Jan
    06.20.2023

    5 stars
    Fresh, healthy, flavorful, and delicious! I served it for dinner this evening, and my husband is taking some of the leftovers to work for lunch tomorrow! I will be making this again and would serve it for company.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.21.2023

      I’m so glad it was such a hit!

  8. Nicole Elizabeth
    06.19.2023

    5 stars
    Love this so much! It worked great as a vegetarian main dish and then I used the leftovers in my schwarma bowls the next night. I followed the recipe but when I made it for my son I substituted black olives for kalamatta olives in his , it was good both ways !

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.21.2023

      I’m so glad you both loved it!

  9. Celia Studt
    06.19.2023

    5 stars
    Loved this! The dressing was so tangy and delicious, and it was a great way to use fresh herbs and produce!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.21.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  10. Stevie Smith
    06.18.2023

    So much flavor with the herbs and hearty with the chickpeas! Great summer salad!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  11. Emily
    06.17.2023

    5 stars
    I really like this easy salad. I had everything on hand. I did sub in pickled banana pepper slices for some of the pickled onions and subbed in dried mint and dill for fresh. Fresh would be better 😋

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      Hi Emily, I’m so glad you loved it!

  12. Rosalie Paddack
    06.16.2023

    5 stars
    Love the herbaceousness of this salad … combined with the citrus and vinegar from the onions! Living in a very small town I was unable to obtain an English cucumber so I used a plain ol’ cuc instead and removed the seeds. Other than that I found the recipe spot on!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      Hi Rosalie, I’m so glad you loved it!

  13. Laurie Bettini
    06.15.2023

    5 stars
    This salad was my lunch for the week! Did I get sick of it? Definitely not! It was excellent! I love the lemon dressing and the fresh herbs! I forgot to make the pickled red onions, so threw in some Vidalia, and I also added some chopped pickled jalapenos. So good!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      Ha, ha I’m so glad you didn’t get sick of it!

  14. Cherri Blair-Drayton
    06.14.2023

    I made this Chickpea Salad to serve at a high noon tea for my teenage nieces. This salad was major hit with them! Pretty great when you can get teens to eat veggies. I really loved this salad and will definitely make it again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  15. Annika Carnes
    06.14.2023

    5 stars
    This Chickpea Salad is the perfect summer lunch salad. Delicious and so easy and quick to make which of course makes it even better. I skipped the olives since I don’t care for them and it was very good without them. I will no doubt make the salad many times over this summer.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.19.2023

      Hi Annika, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  16. Shira
    06.13.2023

    5 stars
    This salad is easy and hearty. A perfect salad for summer and for taking to work!

  17. Megan Lane
    06.13.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious! I made this salad for lunch this week and it was perfect. I omitted the mint because I don’t really like it, and added feta cheese. Will definitely make this again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.14.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  18. Yurika
    06.12.2023

    I made this for lunch last week. I added Feta Cheese and served it on a bed of Romaine Lettuce, Red Cabbage, and Arugula. For the finishing touch, I made your Pickled Red Onions and added it to the top of the salad.

    This is one of my favorite salads now and will make it often.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.14.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  19. madelaine
    06.12.2023

    Thanks for the recipe! I will definately make this again!

  20. Arianna Nuri
    06.11.2023

    5 stars
    I made this today as a side for my family’s bbq and it was a huge hit with everyone! It’s so fresh and bright— and it came together super quickly! Definitely will be making this on repeat all summer!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.14.2023

      I’m so glad everyone loved it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.