This chickpea salad is a Mediterranean-style wholesome, vegetarian salad. However, it is not an ordinary salad – it is a flavor bomb packed with a lot of crunch and freshness. I am sure you are going to love it!
This is a truly Mediterranean-style salad with all my favorite things – Chickpeas (chana), Vegetables, Olives, Fresh Herbs, and a flavorsome homemade dressing.
I bet it is not going to disappoint the SALAD Lover in you.
Here are a few reasons to LOVE this salad recipe
meal prep friendly
vegetarian and gluten-free
high protein plant-based salad
healthy, wholesome, and fulfilling
possible vegan (skip the cheese)
perfect for the lunchbox , picnic, potluck , or mezze platter
Ingredients Required
Chickpeas: You need boiled/cooked chickpeas for this salad. Use either canned chickpeas (minus the liquid) or boil them from scratch at home.
Vegetables: Onion, Cucumber, Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper
Optional Add-Ons: Olives, Feta Cheese
Fresh Herbs: Cilantro or Coriander Leaves, Parsley
Salad Dressing: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Dijon Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Garlic
How To Make
Step 1) Get your chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled) ready by draining all the liquid from them. Let them sit on a strainer for a few minutes. If they are hot/warm, allow them to cool down completely before adding to a salad.
Step 2) Mix chickpeas, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a salad bowl.
Step 3) Add all the ingredients for dressing/vinaigrette to a bottle. Close the lid. Shake to emulsify oil and lemon juice.
Step 4) Pour dressing over the salad. Toss gently. Sprinkle feta cheese. And chickpea salad is ready!
What goes well with chickpeas in a salad?
- Capers
- Pomegranate
- Ripe Avocado
- Colorful Olives
- Cherry Tomato
- Roasted Peppers
- Fresh Sweet Basil
- Walnuts or Pistachio
- Spices – Cumin Powder, Za’tar, Smoked Paprika
…the possibilities are endless!
How do you make a good chickpea salad?
Follow these tried and true tips of mine to make a good chickpea salad.
Tip #1: DON’T BE STINGY when it comes to vegetables in a salad. Add as many colorful vegetables as you want.
Tip #2: ADD FLAVOUR TO CHICKPEAS. If you are boiling them from scratch, add garlic, bay leaf, salt, and olive oil while boiling them in water for extra flavor. If you are using canned chickpeas, coat them in a dry spice mix of – cumin powder, paprika, and za’atar.
Tip #3: PLAY WITH TEXTURES by adding nuts, olives, cheese, capers, or pomegranate to your chickpea salad.
Tip #4: MAKE IT A FEW HOURS BEFORE so that chickpeas absorb all the flavor of the dressing.
Tip #5: KEEP THE DRESSING SIMPLE. A simple olive oil lemon vinaigrette adds great flavor to the salad. You can get creative and pick from my 6 salad dressings recipes or the Indian-style green goddess salad dressing .
More Salad Recipes
Lentil Salad
Mixed Beans Salad
Crispy Noodle Salad
Creamy Macaroni Salad
Mung Bean Sprout Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
Ingredients For Salad
- ▢ 1 Cup (250 gram approx) canned or boiled chickpeas (see Note 1)
- ▢ ⅓ Cup onion, finely chopped
- ▢ ⅓ Cup cucumber, finely chopped
- ▢ ⅓ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ▢ ⅓ Cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ Cup green olives, sliced
- ▢ ¼ Cup parsley, finely chopped
- ▢ ¼ Cup cilantro, finely chopped
- ▢ 2 tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled
Ingredients For Salad Dressing:
- ▢ ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ▢ Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Get your chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled) ready by draining all the liquid from them. Let them sit on a strainer for a few minutes. If they are hot/warm, allow them to cool down completely before adding to a salad.
- Mix chickpeas, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a salad bowl.
- Add all the ingredients for dressing/vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard) to a bottle. Close the lid. Shake to emulsify oil and lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
- Pour dressing over the salad. Toss it gently to coat the chickpeas and vegetables in the dressing. Sprinkle feta cheese.
- Chickpea Salad is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Salad Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients For Salad
- 1 Cup (250 gram approx) canned or boiled chickpeas (see Note 1)
- ⅓ Cup onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ Cup cucumber, finely chopped
- ⅓ Cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ⅓ Cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ Cup parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ Cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon feta cheese, crumbled
Ingredients For Salad Dressing:
- ½ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Get your chickpeas (canned or freshly boiled) ready by draining all the liquid from them. Let them sit on a strainer for a few minutes. If they are hot/warm, allow them to cool down completely before adding to a salad.
- Mix chickpeas, vegetables, olives, and herbs in a salad bowl.
- Add all the ingredients for dressing/vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, mustard) to a bottle. Close the lid. Shake to emulsify oil and lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if required.
- Pour dressing over the salad. Toss it gently to coat the chickpeas and vegetables in the dressing. Sprinkle feta cheese.
- Chickpea Salad is ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Pasta Salad packed with grilled chicken, veggies, and a herb dressing is all you need for the summer picnic, potluck, or backyard BBQ. It is always a crowd favorite salad recipe.
A hearty chicken pasta salad is probably the best way to use all the leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken, vegetables, greens, and cold cut meats sitting in the fridge.
This pasta salad requires minimal effort and is a perfect, fulfilling dish for a large crowd. Hence, making it an all-time favourite potluck salad .
The next day, pack the leftovers for the lunchbox or enjoy it for a quiet summer lunch with homemade focaccia bread and a glass of wine.
Ingredients Required
- Pasta: Pick bite-size pasta for making the salad. I prefer elbow macaroni, fusilli, farfalle, penne, or small shell pasta.
- Chicken – From grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken to leftover barbecue chicken or stir fry chicken , you can use any of these to make this chicken pasta salad. If none of these are available, follow my method to grill chicken for the salad quickly. I add diced chicken salami as well in the salad.
- Vegetables – Step ahead and add colourful, seasonal vegetables and greens to this chicken pasta salad. I prefer a mix of bell peppers, cucumber, onion, tomato, and olives.
- Herbs like Italian basil, parsley, or cilantro taste great in a pasta salad.
- Cheese – Fresh mozzarella, bocconcini, goat cheese, feta, or parmesan are my top five kinds of cheese for a pasta salad.
The Herb Dressing
The USP of this chicken pasta salad is the refreshing herb dressing similar to the Instagram famous Green Goddess dressing.
This salad dressing is effortless to make, and gluten-free .
Ingredients Required for Salad Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Parsley
- Min
- Garlic
- Walnuts
- Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper
- Green Chili
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
All you have to do is blend all the ingredients for the dressing. And it is ready!
How To Grill Chicken
If you do not have leftover grilled chicken, follow these steps to marinate and grill chicken for the salad.
- Take two boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Clean, wash and pat dry them.
- Use a meat pounder to pound them to an even thickness. This ensures quick and uniformly cooked chicken breast.
- Next, marinate chicken breast with olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and chilli flakes. Rub the herbs and spices all over the chicken breast. Keep in the fridge until ready to grill. I do this on Sunday night. And the marinated chicken is good to use throughout the week.
- For grilling, bring the marinated chicken to room temperature. Heat a pan over a high flame. Do not put any oil. Place the chicken breast on the hot pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook chicken for approximately 5 minutes on both sides.
- Transfer grilled chicken to a wooden platter. Let it rest for 3 – 5 minutes. Cut into pieces.
You can assemble the pasta salad 1 – 2 hours before serving and refrigerate it in an airtight container. However, make sure not to leave pasta salad at room temperature for more than 2 – 3 hours after adding dressing, especially in hot tropical regions.
Sadly no. This pasta salad is not freezer friendly. The herb dressing, grilled chicken, cheese, and fresh vegetables lose their texture and taste once frozen. Therefore, it is best consumed within 1 – 2 hours of assembling or, if refrigerated, the next day.
Yes, you can. Start with boiling pasta as per packet instructions. Always go for al-dente pasta when it comes to salads. Nobody likes overcooked pasta in a salad. Rinse boiled pasta with cold water. Store in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.
Pasta salad keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Salads with oil-based dressing retain quality better than those mayo/cream-based ones. If your salad includes meat/seafood or leafy greens, it is best to eat it in the next few days.
More Salad Recipes
- Lentil Salad
- Avocado Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Mixed Beans Salad
- Summer Fruit Salad
- Shrimp Mango Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment and a rating. This helps us grow and reach other food lovers like you.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 Cup dry fusilli pasta
- ▢ 1 Cup grilled chicken, boneless and diced (see recipe notes)
- ▢ 1 Cup chopped onion
- ▢ ½ Cup cherry tomato, cut into halves
- ▢ 1 Cup diced cucumber
- ▢ ¼ Cup sliced black olives
- ▢ ½ Cup diced chicken salami
- ▢ ¼ Cup diced red bell pepper
- ▢ ¼ Cup diced yellow bell pepper
Ingredients For Herb Dressing:
- ▢ ½ Cup flat parsley
- ▢ ¼ Cup fresh mint leaves
- ▢ 4 garlic cloves
- ▢ 1 jalapeno or green chili, deseeded
- ▢ ¼ Cup walnuts
- ▢ 2 tablespoon plain mayonnaise
- ▢ ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
- ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Ingredients For Garnish:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon roughly chopped parsley
- ▢ ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Boil fusilli pasta in salted water al dente as per packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and transfer in a colander. Rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Chop vegetables, salami, and other ingredients for the salad. Keep in the fridge until required.
- Dice the grilled chicken into bite size pieces for the salad (refer recipe notes for grilling chicken from scratch).
Prepare Dressing:
Combine all the ingredients for dressing in a blender or mixer. Blend to get a smooth herb dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Combine boiled pasta, vegetables, salami, chicken, and other ingredients in a salad mixing bowl. Pour herb dressing over the salad. Mix the salad gently to coat evenly with the dressing.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and cheese.
Recipe Notes:
- Boiling Pasta: Boil 6 cups of water with salt. Add dry pasta and cook till pasta is al dente. Once done, transfer to a colander. Rinse with cold water. Let it sit in the colander until required or store it in the refrigerator.
- Grilling Chicken: Take boneless chicken breasts or thighs. Clean, wash and pat dry them. Using a meat pounder, pound them to an even thickness. Marinate chicken breast with olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Rub the herbs and spices all over the chicken breast. Keep in the fridge until ready to grill. For grilling, bring the marinated chicken to room temperature. Heat a pan over a high flame. Do not put any oil. Place the chicken breast on the hot pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook chicken for approximately 5 minutes on both sides.
- Herb Dressing: You can use a combination of different herbs like basil, parsley, coriander, or dill to make this dressing.
- Storing Salad: This salad is not freezer friendly. Store it in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 days.
Nutrition
We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy
