This flavorful chickpea salad is a fresh, protein-packed mix of chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro tossed in a vibrant lemon dressing. Make it in under 10 minutes for a side dish, a pita sandwich filling, or a light satisfying meal.
I have partnered with Pomora Olive Oil. They send me quarterly batch of their newest olive oils in exchange for a post. This post also contains affiliate links.
"I love it that I can use canned chickpeas. Makes it more convinient. Great recipe!"
★★★★★- Kate
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🔍 Quick Look: Chickpea salad with homemade lemon dressing
⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
👥 Servings: 8
📊 Calories: 119 per serving
🍋 Main Ingredients: Chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, fresh lemon juice, olive oil
🌿 Flavor: Bright, fresh, tangy, with a subtle hint of cumin and cayenne
⭐ Difficulty: Easy
This is a salad you can eat with your eyes. The colors of the fresh ingredients are beautiful. The chickpeas are a great source of protein and when added in this salad, they are DELICIOUS!
At lunch time, I like to add it to pita bread for a tasty sandwich. I have also made it several times as a side dish when I am making Mediterranean food. My friends and family love it. I hope you will too. Enjoy! Xoxo ~Katie.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Making this delicious chickpea salad recipe is SO EASY! Here are a list of ingredients you need to have on hand to make it:
- canned chickpeas-You can use dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans. (Garbanzo beans are the same thing as chickpeas. )
- tomatoes- (I like the sweet cherry tomatoes in this recipe.)
- cucumbers-Persian or English cucumbers are best in this salad. You do not need to peel them and will not become watery over time. If you substitute with garden cucumbers, peel the skin and remove the seeds.
- fresh cilantro- You can substitute with fresh parsley, dill, or mint.
- red onion- You can substitute for yellow, white, or green onion.
- cumin
- lemon juice-Use fresh lemon juice.
- garlic infused olive oil- You can use plain olive oil. I use Pomora Olive oil for its quality and richness in flavor. This salad is very simple, therefore the olive oil will really stand out. To read more about Pomora Olive Oil, click here.
- cayenne pepper (Omit if you don't want a little spice.)
- salt and pepper to taste
Steps to make chickpea salad
Follow these simple steps to make this chickpea salad.
- Chop fresh cilantro, onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add chickpeas and mix.
- In a seperate small bowl, mix cumin, lemon juice, olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix.
- Add the lemon dressing to the chickpea salad and mix. You can eat the salad immediately. However, it is best to refrigerate an hour or more before serving,
Watch how to make
Optional add-ins
The following ingredients would be delicious additions to the salad: Kalamata olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, feta cheese, and/or diced avocado.
Do you have to cook the chickpeas?
I use canned chickpeas in this recipe because they are ready to be served. You just drain them from the can and rinse them. Canned chickpeas absorb the flavors of the lemon and garlic infused olive oil perfectly.
However, you can use dried chickpeas. If you choose to use dried chickpeas, you will need to soak them and then cook them
If you want to use dried chickpeas, here is a great resource on how to make them three different ways.
How long will it last?
This simple chickpea salad will taste fresh up to 4 days in the fridge.
Please leave me a comment below if you make this simple chickpea salad and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post your picture of your salad on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 15.5 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup cucumber Persian or English cucumbers are the best for this salad
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil garlic infused
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper omit if you do not want it a little spicy
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop ¼ cup fresh cilantro, ½ red onion, 1 cup tomatoes, and 1 cup cucumbers. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add chickpeas and mix the salad.1 cup tomatoes, ¼ cup cilantro, 1 cup cucumber, ½ cup red onion , 15.5 oz canned chickpeas
- In a separate small bowl, mix ½ teaspoon cumin, ⅓ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.½ teaspoon cumin, ⅓ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
- Pour dressing over salad and mix.
- You can eat the salad immediately. However, it is best to refrigerate an hour or more before serving,
Giangi Townsend says
This was so fresh and easy. Perfect for a quick, healthy meal
Julie says
Was good especially the day after, the flavors really melded together at that point. Was helpful to add some feta cheese and then top with cotija cheese before serving.
Krystel says
Love the fresh flavors. The dressing tasted very tart in its own, but once I tossed the salad with it, it turned out incredible !!!
Krysten says
I love this chickpea salad recipe! The red onions and tomatoes are my favorite addition to this dish. So bright and fresh and flavorful. Perfect for weekday meal prep or whenever I am craving something light and easy.
Laura Arteaga says
This Chickpea salad was so refreshing and delicious that we added it to our weekly meal plan! Lovely recipe, thank you!
Veronika says
This salad made a great side but I also ate leftovers for light lunch the next day and it was really good!
Kim says
This is my type of salad! I love all of the veggies and the addition of beans. It was so easy to make and a great meal prep recipe!
DK Park says
Such an amazing salad recipe! Just added this one on my list and try making it tommorrow, thank you for this!
Cathleen says
I love chickpeas, so this is calling my name! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I am making this first thing tomorrow 🙂
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
This is SUCH an awesome salad! It's so light and refreshing which made it perfect for lunch. The one night I made it again for dinner but topped it with grilled shrimp. This is definitely on repeat!
veenaazmanov says
Quick, simple and easy. Chickpeas sounds like a healthier option. I love the lemon dressing any day.
Savita says
Just tried out this Chickpea Salad recipe, and it's an absolute winner! The combination of vibrant veggies, creamy feta, and the zesty dressing creates a refreshing burst of flavors in every bite.
Jerad Collier says
Delicious!
Kate says
I love it that I can use canned chickpeas. Makes it more convinient. Great recipe!
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
I love chickpea salads and can't wait to try yours! That olive oil looks divine too. Good olive oil is so important to a tasty salad.