Chickpea Salad
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This super-simple chickpea salad makes a delicious lunch or side dish to grilled shrimp or chicken.
Whenever we drive up to visit my husband’s family in Long Island, NY, we stop somewhere along the Long Island Expressway for a late-night meal at a Greek diner; you literally can’t go more than a few miles without passing one. One of our favorite spots serves a simple marinated chickpea salad to nosh on while you wait for your meal. This is my copycat version. It makes a great picnic or potluck salad, and it’s delicious with sandwiches and grilled shrimp or chicken. Feel free to add feta cheese crumbles to bulk it up, if you like.
What you’ll need to make Chickpea Salad
As you can see, I use both extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil to make the dressing for this salad. Sometimes the flavor of olive oil can be too strong, so I like to cut it with vegetable oil.
How to make Chickpea Salad
Begin by finely dicing the red onion. Next, place the diced onions in a small bowl and cover with cold water.
Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain. This step tames the bite of the raw onion, which can be overpowering (at least for raw onion-phobes like me).
Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients.
Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon, salt, and pepper, if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
You may also like
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Moroccan Carrot & Chickpea Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Bulgur Salad with Cucumbers, Red Peppers, Chickpeas, Lemon, and Dill
- Classic Coleslaw
Chickpea Salad
This super-simple chickpea salad makes a delicious lunch or side dish to grilled shrimp or chicken.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion, from 1 small red onion
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas (preferably Bush's or Goya), drained and rinsed (see note)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Place the diced onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain. (This step tames the bite of the raw onion.)
- Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon, salt, and pepper, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss well before serving and adjust seasoning again, if necessary.
- Make-Ahead: The salad can be made and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 2 days ahead of time.
- Note: Different brands of chickpeas contain different levels of salt, so if using a different brand than the one specified, add salt to taste.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 379
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 599 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this salad 2 days before planning to serve it to company. Must say not only easy & quick, but fantastic. Also very forgiving. followed the recipe with the a few additions and changes, used only olive oil, added more lemon juice & replaced the parsley with chopped cilantro. The left overs were awesome as well. Thank you for a great recipe.
Simple but delicious! I make this and the bulgur salad on Sundays for lunches during the week. Both keep beautifully in the fridge.
So simple, yet so tasty! And love the tip about soaking the onions for a bit. Thanks.
This was really good!!!! I added a can of wild planet tuna and some celery and it was really really good!
I was just about to post the same! Delish!
This recipe is on my phone. Even though there are few ingredients, I often make sure I have the ingredients when I’m dragging and I don’t want to cook at home.
The only adjustment is that if I plan to eat it over a couple of days, old style curly parsley will hold up perfectly.
This was absolutely delicious! Completely unexpected flavours and textures. I’m Canadian, so chick pea can sizes are totally different. To compensate, I added some herb infused EVOO and some freshly ground salt. I served it with #Onceuponachef Naan bread and Greek yogurt. Incredible! Thank you!
I thought this recipe was just very tasty, I did reduce the oil quantity to two tablespoons of each oil instead of three. I may cut down to one each next time. I did not soak the onions but I love the flavor of red onions, I may have even added extra than what the recipe called for. I followed the rest of the seasoning quantities and although others complained of needing more seasoning, I felt this was perfect and not overwhelming. Would be great alone or as a side dish.
I LOVE this! Love it on its own, over greens or added to your ratatouille!
Hi, Jenn!
I am currently out of red onions, could I substitute shallots instead? If so, would the proportions still be the same, or would I need to reduce the amount?
Thank you!
Bethany
Can I use cilantro instead of parsley?
Sure, Debbi — it will lend a slightly different flavor but will still be delicious!
Super simple to prepare and full of flavor. I usually follow a recipe the first time I make it and then ad-lib it from then on- mostly because I’m not a strict measurer, I get lazy and once I know the ingredients (except for baking!) I can usually make it taste the way I like. Last night I made this, but, completely forgot about the oil, added loads of parsley and onion, only had lime- so threw in a bunch of lime juice. It was close to Jenn’s- a bit different but delicious. I love that most of her recipes are forgiving and most seem adaptable to ingredients you have on hand.
This was indeed simple – and used ‘on hand’ groceries.
Now during the spring and summer of 2020 I have gained on Ms Segal‘s potatoes au gratin and I’m now “flattening the curve“ with these clean garbanzo beans!
LOL – glad you enjoyed!
WE LOVE THIS!!
My husband & I love love love this recipe. It is ridiculously easy to make & we’ve made this, maybe 10 or more times, since discovering earlier this year.
It makes a great & healthy addition to my husband’s lunches & re requests it often!
Just curious… is there a reason why you specify using both vegetable oil and olive oil? Your recipes are great… thank you!
Hi Katherine, Glad you like the recipes! I use both olive and vegetable oil because the flavor of olive oil can be pretty strong. Hope that clarifies!
Wonderful!
I made this recipe and shared some of the salad with a friend. It’s truly a great recipe and so easy to make. The marinated red onion is a must!
Instead of using 2 types of oil why not just try avocado oil
I use both olive and vegetable oil because the flavor of olive oil can be pretty strong. If you’d like to swap out both of those for avocado oil, feel free. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn, would this work with a yellow onion?
Red onions have a slightly more mild flavor than yellow, but yellow will work here. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn, does this chickpea and red onion salad really have 488 calories per serving? or did I read that wrong? Judith
Yes, Judith, that’s correct (I just double-checked it). I believe that the 6 tablespoons of oil boost the calories in this one.
Add sour cream, garlic salt and dill and you’ve got a winner here!
This is a great salad as is but a bit high on the calorie count for a side dish. To lighten it up I like to substitute a can of water packed tuna (my favorite is Tonino) for one of the cans of chick peas…and the serve over a bed of arugula or watercress. I also cut the oil…to. 1T…adjust vinegar and lemon juice to 2 to 3 T in total….the great flavor remains and the dish is much lighter. I sometimes add a tablespoon or two of capers as well…and substitute the caper juice for the lemon juice.
It makes a great and very quick light lunch or dinner….served with a couple of breadsticks.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s simple and very tasty. I didnt have parsley so I added some dried dill instead. We enjoyed it as an accompaniment with baked fish and couscous.
This salad is one of the staples in my fridge. i don’t temper the onions. and sometimes add more lemon juice. I’ve eaten this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I eat it as a quick nosh before starting dinner and as a midnight snack. Thanks Jenn.
Made this for a pot-luck at work, and everyone loved it! A nice vegetarian option! It was simple to prepare the night before and kept well. I like that it could sit out at room temperature and still be appetizing.
This was simple and tasty. I’m always looking for ways to use chickpeas since I’m a vegetarian and always looking for variety and new ideas with beans. I liked the crunchiness of the red onion and the tanginess of the dressing, subtle and light. This is an excellent side salad or main dish.
Hi Jenn, Really love your recipes and book. Before I try this one though I have a question. Why the two types of oil? Could I use light and regular olive oil instead? Thanks, Sharon
Hi Sharon, If you’d prefer to use light and regular olive oil, you can, but I find that sometimes the flavor of olive oil can be too strong, so I like to cut it with vegetable oil. Hope you enjoy!
I really enjoyed this salad, I’m not sure about everyone else. The red onion flavor prevailed even after soaking. Maybe I should have upped the lemon and salt and pepper. I’ll continue to make this as a light supper for myself.
Do you have a suggestion on how to make this recipe with dried chickpeas instead of canned? Thanks!!
Hi Mar, You’ll just need to soak and cook the chickpeas. Here’s a good tutorial. Hope that helps!
Did not expect to like this one. I loved it and could not stop eating. I did not soak the onions, love red onions. Would not change a thing. So easy and nutritious. I do not really care for hummus so I will eat this instead.
Doesn’t get much easier. I loved this recipe. Easy to make, delicious and varies from the usual vegetables. Thanks, Jen.
Have read the reviews suggesting the need for more seasoning. Wondering if chopped fresh oregano would be a good addition, Jen? I plan to make this soon — sounds delicious and would mix well with many other salads and vegetables.
Sure, Cathy, I think fresh oregano, would be a nice addition here. Hope you enjoy!
This salad was very good, but as other reviewers have mentioned, it does seem to need some kind of ‘boost’ to the seasoning. I did add crumbled feta – and that was delicious – and extra salt, but adding salt at the end never seems to work for me. It tasted lemony enough, so more lemon wasn’t an option. I would definitely make it again, but need to figure out what would make the dressing more interesting.
how about some finely chopped garlic?
This was a quick salad but I need to experiment with some other things to bump up flavor. Maybe feta, maybe increase lemon juice, cilantro instead of parsley……any other thoughts?
Hi Janice, I think that feta and either a bit more lemon juice or lemon zest would be nice additions. You could also add a bit of ground cumin or coriander.
Janice – I used cilantro and it was great!
Love this salad. I’ve been adding Penzey’s Ozark seasoning instead of salt and pepper and I have a hard time stopping eating this. Jen, I understand the craving.
It amazes me that this has so many calories per serving. I am making this today.
The oil in this definitely boosts the calories, Karen. Hope you enjoy!
I made a similar version of this salad with feta a few times. I’ll definitely try this soon! My only minor grievance is the plastic-like “shells” of the chickpea – it was a real turn-off from eating them. Is there an easy way to get rid of this without having to “peel” each one by hand?
Hi Christina, Here’s an article that details a pretty easy way to skin your chickpeas. Hope you enjoy the salad!
i was interested to read about this method as I’m a huge fan of Cook’s Illustrated and almost always skin my chickpeas. The method I use is just as quick, uses no extra ingredients and makes no additional washing-up. I rinse and drain the chickpeas in one of those sieves with a handle. This loosens the skins. Then, holding the sieve with one hand, I use the other hand to simply pinch off the skins and discard them into the sink. In no time at all, I have a sieve full of nicely skinned chickpeas.
Good to know of another option – thanks for sharing, Davinia!
Use Goya Chickpeas, the skins are much softer, Goya cooks the chickpeas longer than other brands, it is the only brand for beans in our house.
Good afternoon chef Jenn!
I’m definitely making this in a little while. But instead of the parleys can I use cilantro? Thanks!!
And congratulations on the book, its amazing!
Yes, definitely – and thank you so much! 🙂
Delicious! I think this salad could be served with a lot of thngs. It’s flavourful but not so much that it clashes with other dishes.
As usual, delicious! The only note that I would add is that I cook up batches of chickpeas in my Instant Pot. I had to do some ‘calculating’ to figure out the cup equivalent to a 15-oz. can drained. My best estimate is 1 1/2 cups of actual chickpeas per can. If you have a better estimate, please let me know.
So good and so easy! We couldn’t stop eating it. Will be making ALL the time! My daughter actually liked it heated up in the microwave.
This was really good but I definitely felt it needed more seasoning than what the recipe called for. Really simple to throw together and really healthy. I will definitely make this again!
Yes I agree. I’d maybe 1-1/2 the rest of ingredients except chickpeas next time.
Try adding 3/4 t of curry powder instead of cumin, very nice addition.
Yum. A delicious side dish…or lunch. I’m so tired of potatoes or rice. This chickpea salad gave some real pizzaz to our steak dinner. Thanks!
This was good, but I prefer a version with more veggies. I like to add red bell pepper, celery and cucumbers in addition to the onion. I also add a dash or two of hot sauce. I guess I prefer a higher veggies to chickpea ratio.
This is my go-to lunch – it’s delicious if you add chopped avocado, and even some chopped arugula!
My Italian family makes a similar version except it uses one can of garbanzos and one can of kidney beans. I add quite a bit more of garlic and more of sugar. And I use green onions instead.
It is a wonderful second dish and thank you for posting this version – every recipe I’ve tried of yours has been very, very successful
I have made this a couple of times, but in the summer added fresh garden tomatoes, seeds removed. Yum
What diner? I live on Long Island and would love to go there for the chickpeas.
I love getting your recipes. They are without fail delicious.
Hi Jetty, I just asked my husband and he said it was Celebrity Diner in Syosset.
I also add some chopped tomatoes. Delicious.
This salad is delicious. I do add the addition of feta along with some toasted chopped almonds and Greek olives. If I don’t have parsley, I add cilantro.
I do not care for parsley, could this be made with any other type of herb? Thank you!
Sure, Kim – cilantro or dill would both be very good.
Former Long Islander here. Bars were open until 4 am then you hit the diner & many times went straight to work.
And when we walked home we went to the bagel store that was open. A warm bagel for the walk home at 430 am.
Back to the recipe – I grew my own parsley & it really makes a difference with the chick pea salads. I also add cucumbers, no seeds.
Ha! Agree – this would be great with cucumbers. 🙂
Are the nutritional values and calories per serving, or for the whole salad?
Hi Sandy, It’s per serving, but the servings are large.