Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is exactly the make-ahead meal you want to enjoy all week! This simple salad comes together with simple ingredients on a budget, and makes a delicious lunch or side dish. With ingredients like canned chickpeas, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and fresh mint you can throw together this meal in less than 15 minutes!

If there is one pantry staple that I always keep on hand, it’s a can of chickpeas! I love their versatility, and how they can create a meal on a budget. They are also nutrient-dense! Loaded with protein and fiber, these are two important nutrients that I look for as a nutritionist when creating a meal.

It’s currently that time of year when I look to create more salads with a variety of flavors. This chickpea salad is no exception! Often packing my dinner to take to the baseball field, or packing a lunch for the pool or to get us through baseball tournaments, this chickpea salad fits right in. My go-to’s are typically Avocado Chicken Salad with Bacon or Southwest Chicken Salad, but having a meatless option is a must!

Reasons you will love this salad

• Time: It comes together in less than 30 minutes!
• Forgiving: missing a few ingredients? There are so many easy swaps!
• Meal prep: It lasts all week in my fridge, making it a perfect candidate for meal prep
• Budget friendly: A can or 2 of chickpeas is only $2. Adding in the other ingredients, you can still make this salad for less than $10 with 4 servings.
• Nutritious: loaded with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants making this a complete healthy meal!

How to make Chickpea Salad

Let’s gather up these simple ingredients:

• Chickpeas
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red onion
• Red bell pepper
• Fresh mint
• Feta cheese
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• Red wine vinegar
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper

Be sure to drain and rinse your canned chickpeas. The most time consuming part of this recipe, is dicing up the veggies! Once that is done, toss with the chickpeas.

Make the dressing by combining the oil, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. I use a small glass container and shake. Toss with the chickpeas and veggies. Add in the feta and fresh mint. Season with salt and pepper to serve!

Adaptations

Here are just a few ways to adapt this recipe:

• Fresh herbs: mint is fantastic here, but so is parsley or basil!
• Dressing: you can use a splash of avocado oil or olive oil, and lemon juice with salt if really short on time!
• Dairy-Free: looking for a dairy-free or Vegan version? Simply omit the feta, or use plant based dairy-free feta
• Bell pepper: can be omitted altogether, or you can swap with a yellow or orange bell pepper

Other Salads you will love!

• Berry Caprese Salad
• Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
• Basil Lime Fruit Salad