Lunch, Side Dishes

Greek Chickpea Salad: Easy and Satisfying

If you love Greek Salad, then you need to try this Greek chickpea salad recipe which is a flavourful make ahead dish perfect for a weekday lunch or a fresh side with dinner.

If you love Greek Salad, then you need to try this Greek chickpea salad recipe which is a flavourful make ahead dish perfect for a weekday lunch or a fresh side with dinner. It combines fresh flavourful vegetables, salty feta cheese and olives and protein-rich chickpeas for a satisfying salad. It is a great recipe to make in the summer or year-round.

Nutrition:

Sometimes salads can be boring and leave you feeling unsatisfied and still hungry – that won’t be the case with this Greek Chickpea salad. The trick to making salads more filling is adding more protein and fibre as well as healthy fats. This salad has plenty of plant-based protein and fibre from the chickpeas and the olives and olive oil-based dressing adds healthy fats. It also has generous portions of vegetables. You could add tuna or chicken breast to this salad to as well or even quinoa. Feta cheese adds a flavourful bite that also adds to salad satisfaction.

Affordability:

Canned chickpeas are so cheap! Buying them dried and cooking them yourself is even cheaper. The vegetables in this salad are usually most economical during the summer. If you live in Ontario like I do, most of these vegetables are in-season and grown locally in the summer and tend to cost less at this time of year. They also taste better then too! If you grow your own vegetables, this is a great way to use some of the abundance that you may have in the summer months.

Ingredients needed for Greek Chickpea Salad:

Chickpeas aka garbanzo beans – Canned chickpeas are the most convenient option for this salad; just drain and rinse them prior to using them to get the excess sodium off. You could also use dried chickpeas that you cook yourself. I do this often and make them when I have time. Soak the chickpeas overnight and then cook them the next morning according to package directions. Dried chickpeas and beans that you cook yourself freeze really well.

Bell peppers – bell peppers are low in calories, high in vitamin C, potassium, and contain some fibre. They add a great crunch and natural sweetness

Cucumbers – for crunch and freshness and they are a staple in Greek salads

Tomatoes – potassium and lycopene rich and a staple in Greek salads. Lycopene is an antioxidant and gives tomatoes their characteristic red color. Diets high in lycopene may help prevent different types of cancer and reduce the risk for heart disease. It may even help prevent cataracts and macular degeneration.

Red onions – add a burst of flavour and beautiful colour but if you find them too strong, feel free to use green onions or scallions instead which are more mild

Feta – adds a salty bite to the salad, you could use regular or reduced fat; crumbled goat cheese could be substituted for a less salty option but feta is classic in Greek salad.

Kalamata Olives – also add a salty bite plus a bit of tang; you could use regular black olives or even green olives

Fresh dill– this is optional but adds a nice flavour to the salad. You could also use parsley or basil or just omit herbs all together.

Dressing – a simple olive oil and red wine vinaigrette works perfectly in this recipe. Dried oregano is common in Greek salad and adds a nice earthy flavour. You could substitute fresh lemon juice for the vinegar or use a combination.

How long does Greek Chickpea Salad last?

The salad is best prepared the day/evening before you want to serve it but making it two hours prior to serving and refrigerating is fine too. It lasts for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Variations:

This salad is hearty enough to stand alone for a lunch meal but if you wanted to bulk it up even more you can. To increase the protein of the salad and make it more of a main course, you could add a can of tuna or sliced chicken breast. You could also add grains like 1 cup cooked quinoa or pasta noodles such as penne, small shells, or rotini. Just double the dressing recipe if you add quinoa or pasta so the salad doesn’t get dry.

Looking for more easy salad recipes?

Try this Vegan Mediterranean Orzo Salad – Christina Iaboni – Healthy Living that also has chickpeas

Or this Orzo and Arugula Salad – Christina Iaboni