Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (Printer-friendly)
Protein-rich chickpeas with crisp vegetables in zesty Mediterranean dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables & Legumes
01 - 2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed)
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
08 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - ½ tsp dried oregano
12 - ¼ tsp sea salt
13 - ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Optional Additions
14 - ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (omit for vegan)
15 - 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
# How To Make It:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper until fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine and coat everything evenly with the vinaigrette.
04 - If desired, sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh mint over the salad before serving.
05 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld together for enhanced taste.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything comes together in fifteen minutes with zero cooking required
- The flavors actually get better after a few hours in the refrigerator
02 -
- The salad needs at least thirty minutes of marinating time for the flavors to really develop
- Don't add the feta until you're ready to serve or it will become soft and lose its texture
03 -
- Let the salad come to room temperature before serving if you've refrigerated it
- Taste and adjust the salt before adding the feta since olives are already quite salty