A simple chickpea salad is one of those recipes that belongs in everyone’s repertoire. It’s budget-friendly, packed with nutrients, and comes together quickly—no fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients required!
Chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are the star here, bringing protein and fiber to the party along with a simple, zesty red wine vinaigrette—think bright acidity, a touch of sweetness, and fresh herbs. It works as a standalone dish or as part of a protein bowl, sandwich, wrap, or even a dip with crunchy pita chips. This easy bean salad is light, refreshing, and packed with crunchy veggies, making it perfect for a quick lunch or healthy meal prep.
And if you love chickpea salads, my creamy chickpea salad is similar, but tossed in a creamy, flavor-packed tahini dressing. Another reader favorite is this cannellini bean salad with sundried tomatoes – so good!
They can be used in soups, sandwiches, dips, and even turned into cakes and muffins! I recommend always having a can or two in your pantry for quick and healthy recipes like this simple chickpea salad!
Since it is dairy-free, it will hold up in higher temperatures a little longer than something mayonnaise or yogurt-based. It’s perfect for summer, but I enjoy it all year as a light lunch or healthy side dish. It pairs beautifully with pan-seared fish, steaks, and chicken. It also holds up well, making it perfect for your weekly meal prep!
Simple Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are part of the plant family of legumes called Fabaceae. They’re actually beans, which is confusing since the word “pea” is in the name. They’re incredibly nutritious and an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Protein and fiber both play a role in weight control. In fact, adding protein to my diet is one of the things that finally helped me lose and maintain my menopause weight.
Another thing that helps me maintain my weight during menopause is adding volume to meals with low-calorie veggies like onions, peppers, cucumbers, and greens. The salad is an excellent example of a high-volume, high-protein, lower-calorie meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This simple chickpea salad requires only a can of chicken peas, fresh veggies, and a simple vinaigrette!
- Chickpeas. To make this easier, I used canned chickpeas. If you prefer dried, directions are below.
- English cucumbers. They add a refreshing crunch. I prefer to leave the skin on.
- Yellow bell pepper. For sweetness and crunch.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Give the salad a delicious sweet-tart flavor and some chewiness.
- Capers. AKA little salt bombs of joy, add a pop of briny, salty deliciousness.
- Scallions. Add a pop of freshness and crunch with a mild onion flavor.
- Italian parsley. Fresh herbs brighten up the salad and add depth.
- Red wine vinaigrette. A zippy dressing with smoked paprika and Aleppo pepper brings the whole salad together. A touch of Dijon gives the dressing some viscosity, allowing it to coat the chickpeas better.
Cooking Dried Chickpeas
- Add a bag of dried chickpeas to a large bowl along with a teaspoon of salt.
- Cover with water, and let them soak in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.
- Drain the chickpeas and rinse them well.
- Add the chickpeas to a large pot with enough water to cover them.
- Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and gently simmer for one and a half to two hours.
- The beans are done when they tender all the way through without being mushy. If they still feel a little firm in the middle, cook them a little longer.
- Add your chickpeas to a large pot.
- Cover them with water and add a teaspoon of salt.
- Bring it to a boil, turn the heat off, and cover the pot.
- Soak for one hour, drain and rinse well, and cook as instructed above.
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Simple Chickpea Salad Steps
Prepping the veggies is the most time-consuming part. From start to finish, you can have this on the table in about 15 minutes!
- Mix the dressing first in the bottom of a bowl big enough to hold the salad.
- Wash and prep the veggies, adding them to the dressing as you go.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well, and add them to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Gently toss the coat of all of the ingredients, give it a taste, and adjust the salt pepper.
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Serving Suggestions & Tips
This is an incredibly versatile recipe and can be enjoyed in many ways!
- Serve alongside any cooked protein as a side dish.
- Wrap it up in a tortilla or stuff it into warm pita bread.
- Serve over a bed of greens with grilled chicken or shrimp.
- Add it to a platter alongside hummus, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and fresh pita.
- To pump up the protein, add canned tuna to the salad. Tofu works well here, too.
- Load it up with olives, bell pepper, celery, red onion, purple cabbage – whatever you like!
- Jazz it up with fresh herbs. A generous amount of dill and parsley would be delicious!
- Don’t like chickpeas? Cannellini beans, kidney beans, or any other type of bean will all work.
- Avocado will also add creaminess, along with healthy fats and fiber.
- Transfer the salad into meal prep containers for healthy meals throughout the week.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. As mentioned above, the cucumber will start to lose its texture after two days, but I ate the rest on day three and thought it was fine.
If you try this simple chickpea salad, I’d love it if you would leave a comment below!
Simple Chickpea Salad With Zesty Red Wine Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup English cucumber, diced
- 1/4 cup yellow pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
Viniagrette Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Monkfruit sweetener
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl.
- Gently toss all the ingredients together.
- Taste, and adjust the salt pepper.
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