Description
This Greek Chickpea Salad is a vibrant and refreshing dish combining chickpeas, fresh vegetables, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and tangy feta cheese, all tossed in a zesty homemade dressing made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, garlic, and oregano. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish, this salad is easy to prepare and packed with Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups English cucumber chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives halved
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Dressing Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the rinsed and drained chickpeas, halved grape tomatoes, chopped English cucumber, chopped red and yellow bell peppers, sliced pepperoncini, halved kalamata olives, finely chopped red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste and gently toss to mix.
- Prepare Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper until the dressing is well combined and emulsified.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients in the large bowl. Toss gently to coat all the ingredients evenly with the dressing.
- Adjust and Serve: Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper if necessary. Serve immediately for the freshest flavor or refrigerate for up to 1 hour to let the flavors meld before serving.
Notes
- Use canned chickpeas for convenience, but rinsing them well reduces excess sodium and improves flavor.
- This salad can be made a few hours ahead but avoid adding feta cheese until just before serving to maintain texture.
- For a vegan version, omit the feta cheese or substitute it with a plant-based cheese alternative.
- Adjust the amount of honey in the dressing to taste or substitute with maple syrup for a refined sugar-free option.
- Serve this salad chilled or at room temperature depending on your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
