Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Feta (Printable)

Vibrant salad with chickpeas, vegetables, tangy feta, and lemon-oregano dressing for a fresh meal.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
07 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

→ Cheese

08 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tsp dried oregano
12 - 1/2 tsp salt
13 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced

# How-To:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, olives, and parsley.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and minced garlic in a separate small bowl until well blended.
03 - Pour dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to evenly coat all ingredients.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled feta over the salad and toss lightly to distribute without breaking it up excessively.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to enhance flavors.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes flat, no cooking required—perfect when you're tired but want something that tastes intentional.
  • The feta gets softer and more integrated as it sits, making it even better if you have time to chill it.
  • It's endlessly flexible; you can swap in whatever vegetables you have and it still feels like the real thing.
  • One bite tastes like you spent hours planning a menu, but really you just threw good ingredients in a bowl.
02 -
  • Don't dress the salad more than a couple of hours ahead of serving, or the vegetables will soften and weep into the bowl—though honestly, chilling it for 30 minutes to an hour actually improves the flavor integration.
  • The crumbled feta will absorb the dressing and soften beautifully if you let the salad sit, becoming creamier and more integrated with each bite.
03 -
  • If you're making this hours ahead, hold back a bit of the dressing and add it just before serving to keep vegetables crisp.
  • Toast a handful of pine nuts or almonds and scatter them on top for a subtle crunch that changes everything.