Mediterranean Chickpea Summer Salad With Feta Cheese
This recipe has saved me on more hot summer days than I can count. When it is too warm to think about turning on the stove, a big bowl of this salad hits every note you want, fresh, filling, and full of flavor.
We pull from a handful of ingredients you probably already have on hand, and the whole thing comes together with almost no effort. You will find yourself making this on repeat all season long.
Mediterranean Chickpea Summer Salad With Feta Cheese
A bright, no-cook salad packed with fresh vegetables, creamy feta, and a simple lemon herb dressing that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas , 15 oz each, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1 English cucumber , diced
- 1/2 red onion , thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives , pitted and halved
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers , from a jar, drained and chopped
- 4 oz feta cheese , crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley , roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice , about 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper , freshly cracked
Instructions
Tips & Notes
- Rinse your chickpeas really well and pat them dry with a paper towel. Dry chickpeas absorb the dressing much better than wet ones.
- Slice your red onion as thin as you can. A mandoline works great here, but a sharp knife gets the job done just fine.
- Taste the salad after the rest period and adjust the salt and lemon before adding the feta, since feta brings its own saltiness to the bowl.
- This salad actually tastes even better the next day once everything has had time to marinate together overnight in the fridge.
- For a heartier meal, serve this over a bed of arugula or alongside warm pita bread.
Nutrition per serving · estimated
Why Chickpeas Are the Star of This Salad
Chickpeas do something that leafy greens cannot. They hold up to dressing without wilting, which means this salad stays good for days in the fridge instead of getting soggy by lunchtime. That staying power is exactly why this recipe works so well for meal prep.
Beyond the texture, chickpeas bring a satisfying, nutty heartiness that makes this feel like a real meal rather than a side dish. Paired with the briny olives and creamy feta, you get layers of flavor in every single bite.
Making the Dressing Work for You
The dressing here is simple on purpose. Olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and a little garlic powder. Those four ingredients do exactly what a good Mediterranean dressing should do, they let the vegetables shine without overpowering anything.
If you want a little more punch, add an extra half teaspoon of oregano or a small pinch of red pepper flakes. You can also swap the lemon juice for red wine vinegar if that is what you have on hand. The recipe is flexible, and that flexibility is what makes it yours.
