Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Crunchy cucumber, sweet tomatoes, briny olives, creamy feta — a chickpea salad that actually holds its own as dinner.
This salad works as a no-cook summer lunch or a reliable meal-prep staple any time of year. Chickpeas make it filling, tomato and cucumber keep it fresh, and feta and olives supply most of the flavor.
Unlike many salads, it actually improves after sitting in the fridge for a while, making it a good candidate to prepare in the morning for lunch later that day.
Ingredients
- 2 × 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large cucumber, diced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 100g pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 150g feta, cubed
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Small handful of mint leaves, torn
Dressing
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Add the chickpeas and toss to coat while you prep everything else — this lets the beans soak up flavour.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, feta and herbs. Toss gently.
- Taste and adjust for salt and acidity. Serve straight away or chill for up to 30 minutes for the flavours to marry.
Cooking tips
- Soak the diced red onion in cold water for 5 minutes if you find raw onion too sharp.
- Use the best feta and olives you can find — this is a salad where each ingredient shows.
- Add a handful of cooked farro or torn pita for a more substantial meal.
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