Greek Chickpea Salad
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Last updated on May 15, 2025
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This Greek chickpea salad is loaded with veggies, feta and fresh herbs, all tossed in a light vinaigrette. It’s such an easy and healthy side salad.
I love a good bean salad. They’re so easy to toss together, they hold up well in the fridge and they can easily be used as a side for just about any meal.
I’ve already shared my curried chickpea salad, which is soo good, btw. But today I want to share this Greek-inspired chickpea salad because I’ve been hooked on it lately!
I love the abundance of veggies and the simple red wine vinaigrette with fresh lemon. Plus, the Greek flavor is spot on!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re anything like me and could live off Mediterranean-inspired salads all summer long, this one’s going straight into your regular rotation. Here’s why it’s a total keeper:
- Filling but fresh – The chickpeas add staying power without making it heavy.
- Packed with flavor – Briny olives, creamy feta, bright herbs, and a zippy dressing? Yes please.
- Perfect for prep – Make it once and enjoy leftovers all week.
- Totally customizable – Add more veggies, swap the herbs, or throw in grilled chicken or tofu if you want to bulk it up.
Greek Chickpea Salad Ingredients
The ingredients in this salad are similar to what you’d find in a traditional Greek salad, but with chickpeas as the base. Here’s what you’ll need:
- chickpeas – I used canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but you can cook your own if you have the time.
- grape tomatoes – grape or cherry tomatoes work great! They add a hint of sweetness and a burst of flavor with every bite.
- bell pepper – I love the flavor and crunch that the bell pepper adds to this salad. Feel free to use any color bell pepper, but I find that red, orange or yellow are the most flavorful.
- cucumbers – a refreshing staple ingredient in Greek salad!
- red onion – a savory and colorful staple ingredient for Greek salad. If raw red onion feels too pungent you can soak the onion slices in bowl of ice cold water for a 10-15 minutes before using. After soaking, just drain and use! This will mellow out the flavor a bit.
- feta cheese – the feta adds a bit of creaminess to the salad and gives it a little tang as well. I recommend using vegan feta to make this salad dairy-free and vegan, if needed! You could omit it, but you’ll lose a lot of flavor.
- fresh basil and/or parsley – don’t skip the fresh herbs! While they may seem optional, they really bring this salad to the next level.
- kalamata olives – the olives add a nice saltiness and some healthy fats.
- red wine vinaigrette – a simple and delicious mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, dijon mustard, dried oregano, salt and pepper. This brings the salad to life!
Substitutions & Notes
- Chickpeas: Like I mentioned, I used canned chickpeas because they’re super easy to use! If you don’t like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans.
- Tomatoes: You can use grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes or a mixture!
- Cheese: Use vegan feta cheese to make this salad dairy-free or vegan. You can also use crumbled goat cheese if you’re not a fan of feta cheese or don’t have it on hand!
- Avocado: Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado!
- Dressing: I love the red wine vinaigrette I created with this salad but any vinaigrette would work if you’re in a pinch. Some options: Greek salad dressing, white balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette.
How to Make Greek Chickpea Salad
This Greek chickpea salad is about as easy as it gets — just blend the dressing, toss everything together, and you’re good to go.
Step 1: Make the dressing by blending all ingredients except the olive oil until smooth, then slowly stream in the oil while blending on low. (You can also whisk everything by hand in a pinch!)
Step 2: Add the chickpeas, veggies, feta, herbs, and olives to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over top and toss to combine. Serve right away or let it chill in the fridge for extra flavor.
Pro Tip!
Use high-quality feta and olives: Since the ingredients are simple, using good feta and briny, flavorful kalamata olives makes a big difference in taste.
How to Serve Chickpea Salad
I love meal prepping protein-packed salads because there are so many different ways you can eat them. Serve it as a meal, side salad or just an afternoon snack… I’ve been known to do all three! Here’s how to enjoy it:
- On its own right out of the container.
- Serve over a bed of greens and top with grilled protein, like my grilled shrimp, for the ultimate meal-sized salad.
- Add this chickpea salad to a wrap with some greens for a simple lunch.
- Serve as a side salad. I think this would be delicious with a hearty protein (like my apple cider vinegar chicken) or even pizza.
How to Store Chickpea Salad
This salad will keep really well! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you decide to add avocado, I would just add the avocado right before serving!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better after sitting for a few hours. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge and give it a good stir before serving.
Absolutely — just cook them ahead of time until tender. You’ll want about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas total.
Yes, it’s naturally gluten-free! Just double-check your feta and Dijon mustard if you’re highly sensitive.
Most Popular Protein Salads
- Tofu “Chicken” Salad
- Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
- Almond Butter Chicken Salad
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Tuna Salad
- Avocado Egg Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Greek Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2, 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil and/or parsley
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon, about 3 Tablespoons
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Make dressing: place all ingredients for the dressing except olive oil. Blend and then slowly add in olive oil while blending on low. You can also do this with an immersion blender. Set aside.
- Prep salad: Add all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Add dressing and toss again. Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge before serving.
Notes
- Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas because they’re super easy to use! If you don’t like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans.
- Dressing: I love the red wine vinaigrette I created with this salad but any vinaigrette would work if you’re in a pinch. Some options: Greek salad dressing, white balsamic vinaigrette or lemon vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Guuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrlllllllllll, you got salads goin’ on! I have become obsessed with your site and we now have several new family favorites. This is one of them and has become an absolute favorite. My kids and husband love the change up from my go-to lettuce based salads. The dressing is so delicious as usual. We sometimes have just had this salad as a meal, especially on busy nights when we don’t want anything heavy. I will deffo be makin’ and takin’ this to summer picnics and potlucks and will leave cheese on the side for a vegan option when taking. Thanks for another favorite and for those of you reading, some of other favorites are the Superfood Salmon Salad, and we really love the Italian Salad.
AH yay! This means so much to me, I am pumped to hear that you are just loving these salad recipes. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This recipe is amazing! I love the saltiness of the feta mixed with the crunchiness of the cucumbers and bell peppers. If you’re looking for healthy and not boring this is it! The texture of this salad alone you must try, it’s delicious!
Ahh yay! I am pumped to hear that you are loving this salad, Abby! Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
Delicious recipe! Ate it straight out of the bowl, and plan to eat leftovers over spinach. Might add more cucumber, pepper, & olives for the leftovers to add in even more veggies, but made the recipe as is and it is delicious!
Yay!! So glad to hear this salad was ah it, Elizabeth! Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!
This has become a staple in our house. We eat it over spinach, with grilled or straight outta the bowl… we can’t get enough!
Yay!! So pumped you loved this salad, Ashley. Thanks for making it and for the review. I so appreciate it!
This was so good! Love it!