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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

With nutritious chickpeas, crunchy and juicy veg like red pepper and tomatoes, plus herbs, feta, and a garlicky-lemon dressing, this healthy, delicious salad is perfect for an easy lunch or light warm weather dinner. Also works well as a side dish, or even a sandwich or wrap filling.

It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.

Course Main Course, Side Dish, Salad, Lunch, Light Meal
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword easy, healthy
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2 - 4
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

For the dressing

  • 60 ml extra virgin olive oil (6 tbsp)
  • 45 ml lemon juice (3 tbsp)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 - 2 cloves garlic (grated or finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill (or mint, parsley, or a combination) (roughly chopped)
  • 1 - 3 tsp pomegranate molasses/honey/maple syrup/sugar (optional, to taste)
  • salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • Aleppo pepper/mild chilli flakes (optional, to taste)

For the salad

  • 160 g cooked chickpeas (increase to 240 g if liked)
  • ½ medium red onion (finely chopped or thinly sliced)
  • ⅓ of a large cucumber (diced)
  • 120 g tomatoes (diced, or halved if small)
  • 30 g Kalamata olives
  • 1 medium red pepper (approx. 80g roughly chopped)
  • rocket or other salad greens
  • 80 - 120 g feta (diced)
  • 1 - 2 tbsp fresh dill (or mint, parsley, or a combination) (roughly chopped)

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients or shake together in a screw-topped jar. Tip: start with the smaller amounts of garlic and sweetener plus a pinch of the salt, pepper, Aleppo/chilli flakes. Taste and add more if needed.

  2. Put all the ingredients for the salad (EXCEPT the rocket and feta) into a bowl and toss.

    Pour over roughly two-thirds of the dressing and toss again.

    Optional: you can leave to marinate for 30 minutes, although the vegetables may lose some texture.

  3. Put a bed of rocket or other salad leaves on each person's plate or bowl then top with the dressed salad.

    Sprinkle with the feta and dill then drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with extra Aleppo pepper or chilli flakes if liked.

  4. Salad will keep for 2 - 3 days covered in the fridge, although the texture will become softer.

    Tip: to use leftovers as a sandwich or wrap filling, drain off the dressing and include some fresh crunchy ingredients e.g. crisp lettuce, thinly sliced fennel, grated carrot.