Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Here’s a trick to making a seriously delicious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad using a can of chickpeas: MARINATE them in the dressing! They absorb flavour and go from bland into extreme tastiness in just 30 minutes.

This chickpea salad tastes as delicious as it looks. It works beautifully as a main course with fried eggplants and some crusty olive bread, or as a side for fish, prawns or simple za'atar chicken thighs.

I think I should have published this recipe as my first post, ⏤ it's that good!

This salad seems to cause embarrassment on a regular basis, each time I've made it, someone embarrassed themselves with gluttony. Unfortunately, I was the first person to shamefully behave this way.

In 2005, I bought the book Arab Table written by May S. Bsisu ⏤ I like to think of her as my Arab Mama, she taught me so much and was an inspiration during the beginning of my cooking journey! 🥰 In May's salad section of her cookbook, she had a recipe for the dressed chickpea salad, I decided to try making it for a causal lunch invite ⏤little did I know this salad would transform people into complete gluttons.

This salad was so tasty, I completely ignored everything else and just ate my salad, I couldn't believe how good it was. In conclusion, it was completely rude of me...to say the least. Yet, extremely funny when reflecting on it now. Subsequently, four years later, I served this same Mediterranean Chickpea salad to a group of my friends. My best friend ate 90% of the salad before anyone had a chance to try it! 🤣

So the moral of the story, make extra!

So what goes into the Mediterranean Chickpea salad?

or I should say "what goes into this glutton inducing salad?" 😉 Well, it's made completely from simple everyday pantry items.

• Chickpeas: I'm going to be a little annoying, but for best results, remove the skin. I know, I know, nobody got time for that. Try getting someone to help you, just tell them you're so busy and you wish you had time to do it, it's the best job in the kitchen ⏤ Just keep praising the job. They'll do it happily for you. If you ask the right way, you might be able to give them the parsley too. Although, you might have to sell that job a little harder!
• Persian Cucumber: Also known as Lebanese cucumbers or mini cucumbers. They have the best flavour. If they're not available you can use English cucumbers
• Tomatoes: Any kind will do
• Green Onion: or red onions or shallots, any onion will do
• Jalapeño Pepper: Optional, but a very delicious addition
• Parsely: You'll need a whole bunch of it...remember to sell how great of a job doing the parsley is and how you wish you could do it
• Lemon: Fresh is best!
• Olive Oil: Use real olive oil, this is a Mediterranean food blog, we're obsessed with good olive oil!
• Garlic: You can use dried if needed, but it's preferable to use fresh
• Ground Cumin: a.k.a the secret weapon. It takes the salad to new heights and stops your bum from joining an orchestra

How to make the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

First, I would like to say that this salad is very low maintenance! Especially, if you can pawn off the job of the chickpea skinning and parsley cleaning. That is seriously the most effort you'll need for this salad.

1. Prep the veggies, herbs and chickpeas
2. Toss into a bowl
3. Pour the dressing and wait 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.
4. Serve at room temperate.

What do I serve with this salad?

This is one of those salads that works as a main course or as a side dish. Therefore, making it a great dinner for hot summer nights, or lunch all year round. I like to serve it with crusty olive bread on the side, or with flatbreads that you can tear and use to scoop up the chickpeas.

It also travels extremely well, being one of those rare salads that keeps well for a few days.

In conclusion, this salad is perfect for work lunches or for picnics with friends. Have I convinced you that it’s basically a great all-rounder and that you must try it immediately??!

What tools you'll need.

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Large bowl
• Lemon press (optional)
• Garlic press (optional)

Hungry for more?

If you give this healthy Mediterranean chickpea salad a try, I’d love to see how it turns out! Also, be sure to post it on Instagram and tag @deliciously.mediterranean and #deliciouslymediterranean. Let me know the approximate number of batches you’ve made that week, just so I don’t feel too bad about the many bowls I’ve already consumed before posting this recipe. Happy eating!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Sarah, inspired by May Bsisu, the Arab table

This chickpea salad tastes as delicious as it looks, and works beautifully as the main course with fried eggplants and some crusty olive bread 🤤 , or as a side for fish, prawns or simple Za'atar spiced chicken thighs.  

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• ¼ cup red onions diced
• 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely diced
• 1 to mato diced seeded
• 2 Persian cucumbers diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno * finely diced

Dressing:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅛ cup fresh lemon juice 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves * mashed into a paste
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 11/2 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

 

• Prepare Salad. Add all the salad ingredients into a large bowl.
• Mix the dressing. Using a small jar with a lid, add all the ingredients. Close the lid and shake.⏤ Kids & kids at heart love this part!
• Combine everything! Pour the dressing over the salad and mix.
• Time to Wait. Let the salad marinate for 30 minutes. This will give you the maximum flavour ⏤ who doesn't want that?
• Serve and enjoy! 

Notes

You can use any chilli pepper, but keep the heat level to a minimum, opt for a medium spice level pepper.

Mashing the garlic: finely chop the garlic, add a pinch of salt, then add to a mortar & pestle and mash. You can also do this with the back of the knife.

Keyword chickpea salad, fresh easy meals, mediterranean meal ideas