Description
A bright, crunchy, and vibrant 10-minute weeknight dinner that uses pantry staples like chickpeas, feta, and fresh lemon. It is protein-packed, customizable, and perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 medium cucumber, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly in a colander. Shake to remove excess water to ensure better dressing absorption.
- Dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, and finely dice the red onion. If using, zest the lemon before juicing.
- In a small jar with a lid, combine the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried parsley, honey, salt, pepper, and lemon zest (if using). Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously for 30 seconds until emulsified.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried chickpeas, diced cucumber, halved tomatoes, diced red onion, crumbled feta, and halved olives.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss to coat everything evenly without crushing the tomatoes or feta.
- Let the salad sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Give it a final toss and serve.
Notes
Rinsing chickpeas is crucial to remove starchy liquid and excess sodium. If the red onion is too sharp, soak diced onion in cold water for 10 minutes. The salad tastes better the next day as flavors meld. Do not freeze this salad as cucumbers and tomatoes will become mushy. For a heartier meal, add grilled chicken, shrimp, or cooked grains like quinoa.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 10
Keywords: Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, quick weeknight dinner, healthy salad, meal prep, vegetarian, gluten-free option, lemon herb dressing, chickpea salad