This easy Chickpea Salad is quick to make and delicious to eat. It's like a Greek salad but with chickpeas so it'll keep you fuller, longer. Perfect for meal prep!
1cucumberpeeled, quartered lengthwise and diced (2 cups, see note 1)
1/2red onionthinly sliced (1 cup or 4 ounces, see note 2)
1(15.5 ounce) canchickpeasdrained and rinsed (see note 3)
1 1/2cupsgrape tomatoeshalved (10 ounces, see note 4)
1/2cuppitted Kalamata oliveshalved (see note 5)
1/2cupfresh parsleymined (see note 6)
4ouncesfeta cheesecubed or crumbled
Instructions
To make the dressing, in a large bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
Add the sliced cucumbers and red onion and marinate at least 5 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
To the bowl with the dressing, add chickpeas, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and parsley. Toss to combine and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Notes
Cucumbers: If you use thin-skinned cucumbers, peeling is optional.
Red onions: Substitute sweet onions if desired. 1 cup of onions may sound like a lot, but you temper the harsh raw flavor after a few minutes of marinade time in the vinaigrette.
Chickpeas: To substitute dried chickpeas, add 4 ounces dried chickpeas to a large pot and cover with 2 inches water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain well and cool.
Grape tomatoes: 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes may be substituted for the grape tomatoes. Seed your tomatoes if desired.
Kalamata olives: Substitute black olives or your favorite green olives if desired, and leave them whole if you prefer that.
Parsley: Or substitute other fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, or mint.
Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups of salad, enough for 8 as a side dish (1 cup per serving) or 4 as a main dish/lunch option (2 cups per serving).
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to meal prep the salad, leave out the feta cheese until the day you are going to eat it.
Make ahead: The salad dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator. The vegetables can be prepped the day before and stored separately in the refrigerator.
More mix-ins: Get creative with cubed avocado, 1 chopped romaine heart (about 4 cups or 8 ounces), your favorite fresh herbs, or even 8 ounces cooked pasta (drained and cooled).
Make the dressing your own: Try adding 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, a teaspoon of honey, a minced clove of garlic, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.