Description
Bright, refreshing, and protein-packed, the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is your go-to dish for summer gatherings. This no-cook delight showcases the vibrant flavors of crisp cucumbers, sweet cherry tomatoes, and savory feta cheese all tossed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette. Perfect as a light lunch or a colorful side dish for barbecues, this salad comes together in just 20 minutes, making it an ideal choice for busy days. Enjoy the health benefits of chickpeas while savoring the Mediterranean essence in every bite!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (or dairy-free alternative)
- Fresh parsley and mint leaves
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 2 lemons)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine drained chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell peppers, red onion, olives, and chopped herbs.
- For the lemon vinaigrette, whisk together lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), dried oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until emulsified.
- Pour vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine.
- Just before serving, fold in crumbled feta cheese.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: None
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 15mg