Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Feta (Print)
Bright salad blending chickpeas, crisp vegetables, feta, and lemon-oregano dressing for a fresh touch.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 (15 oz) can 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 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Cheese
08 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
# How to Make:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, red bell pepper, olives, and parsley.
02 - Whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and minced garlic in a separate small bowl until emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the vegetable mixture and toss gently to ensure even coating.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled feta over the salad and toss lightly to incorporate without breaking the cheese.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to enhance flavor melding.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Ready in 15 minutes with zero cooking, so it's perfect when you want real food without the fuss.
- Tastes even better the next day once the flavors have gotten friendly with each other.
- Works as a quick lunch, a potluck side, or a light dinner depending on what else you have going on.
02 -
- Always taste and adjust seasoning before you serve it—feta brings so much salt that you might need less than the recipe says.
- Make the dressing and store it separately if you're not eating this immediately, because a salad left sitting in dressing for hours becomes soggy, which defeats the whole point.
03 -
- Pat your cucumber dry after dicing it—excess moisture is the enemy of a crisp salad that doesn't get watery.
- Use a microplane or very fine grater for the garlic so it distributes evenly instead of hitting you with chunks of raw garlic that taste harsh.