Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Feta (Printable)
Vibrant salad with chickpeas, feta, fresh veggies, and lemon-herb dressing for a light meal or side.
# What You Need:
→ Salad
01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
08 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/4 tsp sea salt
14 - 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
# How-To:
01 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, olives, and parsley until evenly distributed.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients.
04 - Add the crumbled feta cheese and toss carefully to combine without breaking the cheese pieces.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance flavor melding.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything comes together in minutes with no cooking required, perfect when youre hungry but the kitchen feels too warm.
- The lemon dressing gets better as it sits, so leftovers taste even brighter the next day.
- Its filling enough to be lunch but light enough that you wont feel weighed down on a hot day.
02 -
- Do not overdress the salad, you can always add more but you cannot take it back once its soggy.
- If your cucumbers are watery or seedy, scoop out the center before dicing or the salad will turn into soup.
03 -
- Let the chopped red onion sit in the lemon juice while you prep everything else, it mellows the bite and infuses the dressing with extra flavor.
- Use a potato masher to gently press a few chickpeas before tossing, the broken ones soak up more dressing and make the salad creamier.