Simple chickpea salad that only requires 10 minutes to make. It is healthy, quick, easy and flavour packed. This easy chickpea salad is great for lunch, as a side dish. A bowl of this to your next bbq or cookout would win people over.
The best part of this salad is that it can be made ahead of time, it uses 2 dressing ingredients, olive oil and lemon juice. The longer you keep it refrigerated after making it the more flavourful it becomes. Serve it on its own as a meatless meal with garlic bread or with baked salmon.
Easy chickpea salad recipe
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) on its own is one of the legumes my family has adapted to, they would happily eat chickpea in other recipes like this sweet potato and chickpea curry, falafel or hummus. It took them a while to get used to it and that was partly my fault.
Before, when I made this salad, I used to serve it straight after making it and most times, they tend not to finish it. The story changed when I started making it ahead, refrigerating it for at least 30 minutes before serving. That’s a quick tip, by the way! They loved it and we no longer have leftovers from our chickpea salad.
I get my daughter to help out when I make this salad too, that is how easy it is to make. My daughter now makes cucumber salad and chickpea salad perfectly under minimal supervision.
Chickpea salad is great all year round and perfect in this summer weather too. It is so convenient to make, especially if you are using canned chickpeas, as I did.
If you fancy cooking your own chickpea from scratch, then you should check this post on how to cook chickpea in an instant pot. Now, let's make the best no-cook salad ever.
Why this recipe is good
This is me trying to convince you about chickpeas and why it should be incorporated into your diet.
- Chickpea is protein-packed, and it is a good option when you do not want to eat meat.
- It is healthy and improves your digestion. You would be surprised how filling this legume is.
- Chickpea is low carb, high in fibre and gluten-free.
- It is vegetarian, vegan and perfect for as a meatless dinner!
Ingredients in my simple chickpea salad
Canned chickpea (garbanzo beans)
Chopped tomatoes, deseeded
Chopped cucumber
Onions: I love using red onions for flavour and colour.
Extra virgin olive oil: good quality EVVO
Fresh lemon juice
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
Dried dill and parsley: This is optional but I do add for garnish
Variations (veggies and seasoning)
Red bell peppers
Red wine vinegar: as part of the salad dressing
Feta cheese: for some Greek (Mediterranean) flavor
Green onions
Cumin
Paprika
Celery salt
How to make simple chickpea salad
Drain the chickpea and rinse under cold water.
To a large bowl, add drained chickpea, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onions and give it a good mix. Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice then season with garlic salt and pepper and mix to combine. Cover the salad with a cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Other simple salad recipes for you
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Simple Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 400 g canned chickpea garbanzo beans
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes deseeded
- ½ cup chopped cucumber
- 2 tablespoons red onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Garlic salt and pepper to taste
- Dried dill and parsley This is optional but I do add for garnish
Instructions
- Drain chickpea and rinse under cold water.
- To a large bowl, add drained chickpea, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, onions and give it a good mix. Add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, then season with garlic salt and pepper and mix to combine. Cover the salad with a cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #THEDINNERBITE OR TAG @THEDINNERBITE ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
Frame125 says
In the top part of the article you mention red wine vinegar, but it now isn't in ingredients or instructions?
SJ says
Tasted good. I used a bit more red onion than recommended and used celery salt instead of garlic salt (didn't have latter)
Ajoke says
Thanks SJ. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Dancyr says
Thanks, for the delicious recipe. But I have a question I hope you can help me with. A local restaurant makes a great chick pea salad but their chick peas are much softer and more tender, yet not mushy, than the canned chick peas that I can find at the store. I'm wondering if there is a way to soften the canned chick peas. I'm thinking if I boil them they will get mushy. though I haven't tried it yet. I have tried several different brands and am not aware of any that are softer. Has anyone noticed any difference in brands?
Terri King says
Easy, and delicious!
Ajoke says
I am glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!
Katy Tremblay says
I didn’t have everything on hand, but I made this with the chickpeas, tomatoes, and avocado in place of the cucumber… added the garlic powder, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. SO good!!!
Katy says
Oh, and onion ☺️
Chichi says
This is superb! So easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Ajoke says
Thank you, Chi! It is an easy but delicious one to make