Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is delicious, healthy, and bursting with fresh flavor. Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are complemented by salty feta and Kalamata olives. All this on a bed of fresh spinach and basil, and drizzled with a bright, tangy Greek Vinaigrette. You’ll love this salad as a light dinner or filling lunch.
This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is also fantastic for meal prep. I often prep all the veggies at the beginning of the week, then I have an easy salad to put together for lunches at work. Simply dress it just before eating. The Greek Vinaigrette stores just fine in the fridge up to a week as well.
For you Trader Joe’s fans out there, you’ll be happy to know that all of the ingredients for Mediterranean Chick Pea Salad can be found at your local Trader Joe’s. No matter how you decide to enjoy this salad, I am confident that you’ll love it as much as we do.
Mediterranean Salad Ingredients:
- Red onion: Milder flavor than white or brown onions.
- Cucumber: No need to peel if you use Persian or English cucumbers.
- Tomatoes: Use grape tomatoes, and you only need to slice in half.
- Olives: I like Kalamata olives in this recipe.
- Feta cheese: Adds a salty and savory bite.
- Basil: Adds a fresh, herby flavor.
- Spinach: Forms the base of this salad.
- Chickpeas: Drained and rinsed chickpeas work well in this recipe.
How to Prepare Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:
- Preparing this salad is easy, especially if you’ve already made the Greek Vinaigrette. Click on the link for the dressing recipe if you’d like to use that—it takes less than 10 minutes to make. You could also use a store-bought Greek dressing if you’re pressed for time.
- Begin by draining and rinsing a can of chickpeas. Leave in the colander in the sink to dry.
- Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Slice the onion and cucumber, and set aside. Cut the mini tomatoes and Kalamata olives in half. Rough chop, or thinly slice, ¼ cup fresh basil leaves. I like to remove the stems from my spinach, but you can skip this step if you don’t mind the stems.
- Place all the veggies, chickpeas, and crumbled feta in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to combine well. (Note: If not serving immediately, wait to dress the salad until just before serving.)
Serving Suggestions:
- This salad is perfect for meal prepping lunches through the week. Simply wait to dress until just before eating.
- You could also serve this salad as a side dish with meat or fish. Check out Jaclyn’s recipe at Cooking Classy for an easy Greek Chicken Kebab recipe.
- Want to serve this as a main dish for dinner? Consider adding some grilled chicken or shrimp.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card and/or a review in the comments section at the bottom of the page. Are you following along on Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook?
Ingredient Substitutions and Additions:
- Spinach: Any leafy green you like can be used.
- Kalamata olives: Use any olives you like, or omit them.
- Fresh herbs: While I used basil, fresh dill or parsley would be delicious additions as well.
- Bell peppers: Common in Greek salads. Feel free to add them if you like.
- Vegan option: Omit the feta cheese or substitute a vegan cheese.
More Mediterranean Inspired Recipes:
Explore all the salad recipes from Inspired Fresh Life.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is delicious, healthy, and bursting with fresh flavor. Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are complemented by salty feta and Kalamata olives. All this on a bed of fresh spinach and basil, and drizzled with a bright, tangy Greek Vinaigrette. You’ll love this salad as a light dinner or filling lunch.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- ¾ cup cucumber, chopped (I used English cucumber.)
- 1 cup mini tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (garbanzo beans)
Instructions
Preparing this salad is easy, especially if you’ve already made the Greek Vinaigrette. Click on the link for the dressing recipe if you’d like to use that—it takes less than 10 minutes to make. You could also use a store-bought Greek dressing if you’re pressed for time.
Begin by draining and rinsing a can of chickpeas. Leave in the colander in the sink to dry.
Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Slice the onion and cucumber, and set aside. Cut the mini tomatoes and Kalamata olives in half. Rough chop, or thinly slice, ¼ cup fresh basil leaves. I like to remove the stems from my spinach, but you can skip this step if you don’t mind the stems.
Place all the veggies, chickpeas, and crumbled feta in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to combine well. (Note: If not serving immediately, wait to dress the salad until just before serving.)
Notes
- Want to serve this as a main dish for dinner? Consider adding some grilled chicken or shrimp.
- This salad is perfect for meal prepping lunches through the week. Simply wait to dress until just before eating.
Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 697Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 50mgSodium 1906mgCarbohydrates 85gFiber 27gSugar 19gProtein 38g
Note: Nutritional information is an approximation. Different brands and/or quantities will change the nutrition profile.
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