Chickpea Greek Salad
on Jul 22, 2021, Updated Jul 08, 2022
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This easy chickpea Greek salad is a twist on the classic with roasted tomatoes and crispy chickpeas plus the usual cucumbers, olives, onions and feta.
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Summer has salads that you can call iconic. That includes a Caprese with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and a panzanella with toasted bread. They’re all like an instant trip to the Mediterranean, somehow fabulous and effortless at the same time.
What makes these salads so great is that you can take the core recipe as a starting point. From there, you are free to switch up the ingredients all while saluting the original.
The Greek salad is another one of those icons that is at its best during tomato season. It is on my regular salad rotation, but of course, with a twist.
What’s In A Greek Salad?
The main components of this salad are
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Cucumbers
- Onions
- Feta Cheese
- Vinaigrette
Every time I order a Greek salad at a restaurant it looks a little different. There might be diced chunks of tomatoes or sliced ones. The feta could be neatly cut into cubes or simply crumbled. It doesn’t matter because these ingredients always work beautifully together.
Just please make sure you have good tomatoes!
Raw vs. Roasted Ingredients
In my version of the traditional Greek salad, I roast the tomatoes and add chickpeas.
I used to eat this salad with everything raw, but then I found myself always adding that roasting step. If you’ve been a reader here at Last Ingredient, you will see that I decided to fully commit and update this recipe.
That’s because I want you to experience the salad with roasted cherry tomatoes and crispy chickpeas. Trust me—you will love it, too.
The Ingredients
This is what you need for this Greek chickpea salad recipe:
- Tomatoes: Halved grape tomatoes are my choice. I prefer smaller tomatoes in general no matter if they are raw or roasted.
- Chickpeas: Also known as garbanzo beans, 1 can is plenty for the salad.
- Cucumbers: I dice the cucumbers so they are a similar size to the tomatoes and chickpeas.
- Onions: Thinly sliced red onions give the salad just enough onion flavor.
- Feta: I don’t bother cutting the feta into cubes. Instead I break it up into crumbles making sure there are some bigger pieces in the mix. There are brands that make vegan feta if that fits with your food tastes.
- Parsley: I also sprinkle in chopped fresh parsley. If you like fresh dill, you can add that too.
- Greek salad vinaigrette: With dried oregano, minced garlic, mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, there’s a lot happening in this vinaigrette! I am such a fan of it that I use it on other salads besides this one.
How To Make A Chickpea Greek Salad
First, I preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Then I grab 2 separate sheet pans: one for the tomatoes and the other for the chickpeas. The prep is pretty similar for both.
I toss the tomatoes and chickpeas in olive oil, salt and pepper. When they are finished roasting in the oven, the tomatoes will be wrinkled, and the chickpeas will be golden and crispy.
When I add roasted chickpeas to a salad, I like to think of them as another version of a crouton. They have so much crunch!
How To Make Greek Salad Dressing
The dressing is very simple to make just like any other vinaigrette.
All you have to do is whisk together lemon juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, whole grain mustard, dried oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl.
The dressing turns out bright, herby and garlicky for the combination of veggies.
Assembling The Perfect Greek Salad
Sometimes you will see a Greek salad plated with the components separated by type or layered artistically on top of each other.
My approach is way more casual. I do give the tomatoes and chickpeas a chance to cool off. Then I combine them in a large bowl with the other ingredients and drizzle in the dressing.
It’s summer, so that’s even more reason to keep things simple. Why spend time fussing when there are better things to do?
What To Serve With A Chickpea Greek Salad
The chickpeas take the classic Greek salad and make it more filling. That means you can serve this salad as a vegetarian main.
I also like to make a trio of salads, so then everyone can have a little bit of this and that. For example, you can serve it with a roasted pepper panzanella and a zucchini ribbon salad.
Or serve it as a side dish with a grilled summer main dish that’s vegetarian or one including a protein like chicken, burgers or a steak.
It’s a solid choice for a picnic or barbecue salad.
More Classic Summer Salad Recipes
Avocado Caprese Toast
Caprese Salad
Stone Fruit Caprese
Charred Tomato Panzanella
Cornbread Panzanella
Roasted Pepper Panzanella
Chickpea Greek Salad
Ingredients
- For salad
- 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
- 4 ounces crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- For vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Spread the tomatoes on a sheet pan arranging them cut side up.
- Toss the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Spread chickpeas across another sheet pan.
- Roast the tomatoes and chickpeas for 30-35 minutes. The tomatoes should be wrinkled and slightly juicy in the center. The chickpeas should be golden and crisp. Let them cool for 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, chickpeas, cucumbers, olives, onions, feta and parsley.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Then whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is fully combined.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad, gently tossing to combine.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We just made this, it turned out delicious! !
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know!
I made this and I couldn’t help myself. So good! AND! my daughter almost 2 years old loved it as well.
Wow! You have a good eater at your house. I don’t think I could convince my 2-year-old to get excited about a salad.
Looking forward to trying this
Greek salads are my favorite. Vinaigrette dressing is a welcome plus as long as it’s lightly applied.
I made this today exactly how the recipe is and it came out fantastic!!
Great recipe! I’m learning how to make veggies taste better, and this was just what I needed. Love the roasted tomatoes and crispy chickpeas.