Easy Chickpea Salad Recipe
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Made with chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs, this easy chickpea salad recipe makes a lovely summer side dish, or a light lunch. This recipe is vegetarian as written, but easily made into a vegan chickpea salad by omitting the cheese.
Why Make This Chickpea Salad Recipe?
Chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) offer an excellent source of plant-based protein, provide a good amount of dietary fiber, and are chock-full of vitamins and minerals. As a vegetarian, I love to cook and eat chickpeas, and am constantly finding new ways to work them into dishes. They’re delicious roasted, stirred into a chickpea and tomato curry, or tossed in a food processor to make dessert hummus. They also make a protein-rich addition to summer salads.
In this easy chickpea salad recipe, nutty garbanzo beans provide a canvas for good-quality olive oil, lemon, and fresh summer herbs, showcasing the best flavors of the season. Requiring just six ingredients and about ten minutes of prep time, this chickpea salad works as a main dish or as a side, and can be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. Plus it uses canned chickpeas, so no need to spend time soaking dried beans!
Chickpea Salad Recipe Ingredients
To make this simple chickpea salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Chickpeas – You’ll need one can (400 grams or 15.5 ounces, depending on your location) of chickpeas for this recipe, which will serve 1-2 people as a main dish, or 2-4 as a side. (If you have an extra can of chickpeas, save it for chocolate chip cookie dough hummus!)
- Olive Oil – You can definitely taste the olive oil in this salad, so choose something flavorful and of decent quality.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh is best. Do not make this recipe with bottled juice.
- Fresh Herbs – I’ve used a combination of parsley and basil, but mint or coriander (cilantro) will also work.
- Seasoning – Chili flakes, kosher salt, and ground black pepper add a key finishing touch.
- Parmesan Cheese – Opt for a decent-quality block of Parmesan grated on a box grater or microplane, rather than the cheap bagged or canned stuff. You can also make this chickpea salad with a different hard cheese, such as Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Omit the cheese for a vegan chickpea salad, or double the quantity if you’re a cheese lover like me!
When To Serve This Simple Chickpea Salad
As a side dish, serve chickpea salad at summer parties, potlucks, cookouts, and picnics, alongside other favorites like corn relish and macaroni salad. (This salad makes a great celebratory side because you can prepare it in big batches, transport it in a cooler, and serve it cold.) As written this recipe is vegetarian, eggless, nut-free, and gluten-free, and can be made dairy-free and vegan by omitting the cheese, so it’s a good choice for a gathering of guests with a variety of dietary preferences.
Chickpea salad also works as main course for a light summer lunch or weeknight dinner. I like to double the recipe and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
As written, this recipe will serve 1-2 people as a light meal, or 2-4 people as a side dish. You can double, triple, or even quadruple this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Recipe Substitutions and Additions
Feel free to tweak this chickpea salad to suit your personal tastes. You can:
- Vary the herbs. I used parsley and basil, but coriander (cilantro) or mint would also work nicely in this recipe.
- Adjust the seasonings. Taste as you go, and add more lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as necessary to suit your palate.
- Add onions. Raw onion is one of the only foods I dislike, so I don’t use it in my salad recipes. But if you’re a fan, try tossing the chickpeas with half of a finely minced raw red onion.
- Substitute infused oil. Try basil oil or garlic oil for an additional flavor boost.
- Make it a meal. For a more filling salad, add diced raw vegetables (such as cucumber, red pepper, or cherry tomato), canned tuna, chopped hard boiled egg, or slices of ripe avocado.
Can I Turn This Into a Vegan Chickpea Salad?
This recipe is vegetarian as written, but easily made vegan by omitting the Parmesan, or substituting nutritional yeast or a vegan hard cheese. Omitting the cheese will also make this salad suitable for dairy-free diets.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
Chickpea salad can be eaten immediately, but I recommend chilling for at least one hour before serving. A rest in the fridge allows the chickpeas to absorb the lemon juice, so the longer the salad chills, the better it tastes. I recommend prepping this salad the night before for an additional flavor boost.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Because this salad keeps well and improves over time, I’ll often make a double batch and eat it for lunch over the course of the week.
Other vegetarian recipes you might enjoy:
Asparagus Puff Pastry Tart
Vegetarian Chicken Noodle Soup
Lattice Pastry with Cheese and Caramelized Onions
Fig and Goat Cheese Tart
Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Relish
Refrigerator Pickles
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Chickpea Salad
- Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
- YieldServes 1-2 1x
An easy chickpea salad recipe with made with canned chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, and chopped fresh herbs. A lovely summer side dish, or light and healthy lunch.
Ingredients
250 grams chickpeas (2 3/4 cups; 1 400-gram or 15.5-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
25 milliliters olive oil (2 tablespoons)
30 milliliters fresh lemon juice (2 tablespoons; juice of 1 lemon), or to taste
8 grams chopped fresh parsley (1/4 cup, not packed)
8 grams chopped fresh basil (1/4 cup, not packed)
Generous pinch chili flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
15 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, basil, and chili flakes.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
Toss with the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Store leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recipe can be doubled or tripled.
This Chickpea Salad recipe is amazing! It’s fresh, flavorful, and perfect for a healthy meal. The detailed instructions made it so easy to prepare. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!