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 59 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.

104 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Melissa G.
    03.24.2024

    5 stars
    Wow this turned out delicious! I added a red pepper and an avocado, subbed black olives and cilantro for the mint, used jalapeno mustard and added feta. Yum yum yum yum!!

  2. Susan Packwood
    01.21.2024

    Really good! I wanted something different for lunch and this was perfect! It’s super cold here and ran outside to get herbs….dill a little frozen but cilantro and parsley good…added all three😊

  3. Glenelda
    11.11.2023

    5 stars
    Wow! Wow! Wow! Absolutely delicious! I also added one avocado as it was ripe and ready to use. Will definitely make again and will also use the salad dressing in another salads as it was easy to prepare for a cooking novice like me!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      11.16.2023

      I’m so glad you loved the salad!

  4. Janjan from Love%20and%20lemons.com
    10.20.2023

    5 stars
    These salad recipes are very tasty*~~~

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      10.20.2023

      So glad you enjoyed!

  5. Zara
    08.30.2023

    5 stars
    Wow! Another killer salad from you! Love the fresh flavors, the dressing tasted very tart in its own, but once I tossed the salad with it, divine!!! I didn’t have fresh parsley or mint, but still delicious. Will definitely make this again and again.

  6. Amanda Carroll
    06.30.2023

    5 stars
    Delicious, and it was easy to throw together!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.03.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  7. Samantha Barnett
    06.30.2023

    5 stars
    This is so good!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.03.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  8. Jackie Macy
    06.29.2023

    5 stars
    I love this tasty beautiful salad. It is such a colorful bright combination of flavors and textures. Thank you for sharing.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      06.30.2023

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

  9. Leslie McDonough
    06.29.2023

    5 stars
    This Chickpea Salad was delicious – so easy, fresh and summery! Very versatile too. Served as a side to grilled pork chops. Will be making again soon!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      06.30.2023

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

  10. Kayla Reichstadt
    06.28.2023

    5 stars
    Loved the idea of this monthly recipe experience that we as a like minded community can come together to explore! This chickpea salad recipe was super easy to pull together, uses minimal ingredients which really allows the select few to shine through, is so summery, and builds a beautiful bowl of color! I omitted the olives based on personal preference (another great perk- this recipe is very flexible and can easily be tailored to personal preferences) and added in sun-dried tomatoes along with a bit of their oil for some extra depth of flavor! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  11. Jan Tam
    06.27.2023

    5 stars
    What a beautiful and delicious salad. It is simple and easy to make. My husband and I love it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

      I’m so glad you both loved it!

  12. Avi Strauss
    06.27.2023

    Very yummy! This cooking club is gonna be fun!

  13. Tiffany Raffino
    06.27.2023

    5 stars
    What a lovely salad! I have tried several variations of chickpea salads with parsley, lemon and garlic, but I think this is my favorite. I really enjoyed the additions of dill, mint, and pickled red onions.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  14. Karen Pearson
    06.27.2023

    5 stars
    Such a beautiful and delicious salad! I love how nourishing and filling it is. Adding this to my salad go-to recipces. YUM!

    • Karen pearson
      06.27.2023

      *recipes 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

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

  15. Erin Dominy
    06.27.2023

    Love the versatility of this recipe! It will go on summer repeat.

    • Erin Dominy
      06.27.2023

      5 stars
      It’s definitely a five star make!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

      Hi Erin, I’m so glad it was a hit!

  16. Tammy Mikan
    06.26.2023

    5 stars
    Love a good, refreshing bean salad…like this!

  17. Ruby Khatcherian
    06.26.2023

    5 stars
    Hearty, colorful & delicious! Loved making this chickpea salad.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.29.2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  18. Christine Harrison
    06.26.2023

    5 stars
    Love this salad. It is a refreshing and filling salad. I’ve had it as a side dish and also as my main meal for lunch. Will definitely make it again.

  19. Adrienne L.
    06.25.2023

    5 stars
    What a delicious, hearty and fresh salad! So perfect for a summer day and I love that it is versatile enough to be a main dish or side dish. So tasty!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2023

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  20. Laura Mullin
    06.25.2023

    5 stars
    I just made it! Added hearts of palm and artichoke hearts. So fresh and yummy.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2023

      I’m so glad you 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.