Experience the taste of summer with this fresh chickpea feta summer salad. It’s packed with good stuff like cucumber, parsley, and creamy avocado, making it perfect for this time of year. This salad is a real lifesaver as it makes a large enough amount to take to your next backyard BBQ this season. Enjoy it leftover on a wrap for a healthy, quick lunch idea.
Crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, tangy onions, and loads of fresh parsley mix with creamy feta cheese and avocados to bring this salad to life. Kalamata olives, sliced or whole, add a saltiness that offsets the low-key chickpeas.
But what really makes this salad special is the zingy dressing made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of pepper. It adds a tangy kick that brings all the flavors together perfectly. If you need a yummy salad for a warm day, try our Chickpea Feta Summer Salad. It’s tasty, healthy, and full of good stuff. Let’s learn how to make this delicious salad perfect for summer!
Looking for more great summer salads? Our salad page has year-round ideas with fresh flavors!
Why You Will Love This Chickpea Salad Recipe.
Convenience: This garbanzo bean salad can be made ahead of time by a day and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. It saves time and makes busy days easier!
Delicious Freshness: It’s made with tasty, fresh ingredients like crunchy cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and creamy cheese, making each bite flavorful and satisfying.
Versatility: You can enjoy this salad for lunch and dinner, making it a flexible and delicious option for any mealtime.
Let’s Meal Prep This Easy Chickpea Salad.
To start, we open the canned chickpeas, drain them, and add them to our large bowl. I make this in a sealable salad bowl that can be kept in the fridge for days. You can also save the aquafaba or water that comes off the chickpeas to use later in something else. It will be stored in the fridge or freezer.
After that, cut up the washed flat-leaf Italian parsley. I leave a bit of stem, but you can remove it if you don’t like the texture of the parsley stem. Can you use regular curled parsley? Yes, but its texture is off-putting to some, so test it with your family first.
We move on to washing and cutting the cherry tomatoes in half. Are you running low on time and energy? Still, do you have to prepare this salad for dinner? Go ahead, be a rebel, and leave the cherry tomatoes whole.
Next, we want to add our avocado. I prefer lots of the buttery fruit in my salad you can adjust to your taste and budget preference. To cut the avocado easily:
- Run a paring knife through the skin lengthwise around the fruit.
- Pull it into two halves and pop out the pit.
- Using the same paring knife, score the avocado down the skin in a cross-section so you see cubes of that delicious green fruit.
From there, you can use a spoon inserted along the skin to gently ease out the avocado pieces.
Cutting your red onion into small pieces can be a downer if you are prone to tearing. I find two things help immensely. One is keeping my mouth closed while working. I’m not working, so I’d like to know if that is an actual science or a tip that works. The other is to chill your onion for at least one hour before peeling and cutting. That one I learned from years in the food service industry. Either way, you need to dice the onion, not superfine, just big enough to be seen.
Next, we added our English cucumber, which is so refreshing, so I used up half a large cucumber. Begin by slicing it down the center and cutting it into wedged chunks. Do not remove the skin or seeds unless you must, as most vegetable nutrients are from the skin or just underneath it. Plus, eating it will reduce your food waste.
The older I get, the more I think about food waste. I am very conscious of it when I go to the grocery store and menu plan. A day or two before grocery shopping, it’s good to see what’s left in the fridge and decide how to preserve it by freezing it or using it immediately.
Often, you can save on your grocery bill, too, if you know what’s in your fridge at all times. I don’t always know what’s in the refrigerator, but a quick peek will refresh the old brain.
So now that you have the cucumber added, we need to crumble the salty feta cheese on the top and make the salad dressing.
Making the lemon vinaigrette salad dressing:
This is an excellent lemon vinaigrette dressing, and best of all, it is super simple to make. There are just three ingredients in the dressing, and it whips up in a flash! Juice a whole lemon and remove any escaped seeds that snuck into the juice. Add one-quarter of a cup of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of pepper. Guess what? That’s all she wrote! Mix it up well and pour it over your salad.
Lastly, we use a block of feta crumbled on top to finish the salad. That may feel like a lot of feta, but it works out for this amount of salad.
The best part is the salad will stay in the fridge for a few days. It’s so hearty and filling that a dish of the stuff will fill you up for lunch! So pack it to go to work and have a quickly prepared meal.
Ingredients:
Canned Chickpeas: Convenient and high in protein and fiber, the hearty chickpeas make this salad a filling lunch or dinner.
Italian Parsley: Parsley adds a fresh and herbaceous flavor to the salad.
Avocado: This adds creaminess to the salad and is full of healthy fats that are good for your heart.
English Cucumbers: Both refreshing and hydrating, adding a crisp cucumber gives texture to the salad. They’re also low in calories and have a high water content, making them a healthy addition.
Cherry Tomatoes: These little jewels of summer add sweetness and juiciness to the salad. They also provide a burst of color and freshness, making the salad visually appealing.
Red Onion: The sharp tangy flavor of raw red onion adds another flavor level to this great recipe. It also adds crunch and texture, which balances out the other ingredients.
Feta Cheese: Adds a salty kick to the salad. It pairs well with the other ingredients and adds richness to each bite.
Black Olives (Kalamata): These olives add saltiness, color, and a textural component to the salad.
Lemon Juice: This freshly squeezed juice adds brightness and tanginess to the salad. It enhances the flavors of the other ingredients and adds a refreshing zing.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds depth of flavor to the salad while also helping to coat the ingredients and create a cohesive dish.
Black Pepper: It helps to balance out the flavors and adds a bit of complexity to each bite.
Substitutions Or Add-Ins For This Delicious Summer Salad.
Canned Chickpea: You can use cooked lentils or white beans instead if you don’t have canned chickpeas.
Italian Parsley: You can use fresh curled parsley in place of Italian parsley, but its flavor is more intense, and the sharper texture of the leaves is best in a smaller quantity. If you want to be adventurous, try using other fresh herbs from the garden, like basil or cilantro, for a similar herby flavor.
Avocado: Hard-boiled eggs can add creaminess to the salad and may be more economical than avocado.
English Cucumbers: If you have surplus field cucumbers, you can use them as well, but you will want to first peel and remove the seeds. Be sure to keep cucumbers refrigerated ahead of time for nice crisp cucumbers.
Cherry Tomatoes: Are cherry tomatoes too expensive for the grocery budget? You can use any grape tomatoes or small tomato varieties. It would also be perfectly okay to cut up a whole tomato for this salad.
Red onion can easily be replaced with a sweet white, Vidalia, or shallots.
Feta Cheese: Feta cheese is pretty salty, so if you prefer, you can substitute cubed mozzarella or a light cheddar.
Black Olives (Kalamata): Don’t you like black olives? Switch to whole, ripe green olives or omit them entirely. Another choice would be a spoonful of capers to replace the salty flavor of the olives.
Lemon Juice: No lemons to juice? That’s not a problem. Instead, use white wine or apple cider vinegar in its place for a tangy acidity.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You can switch this oil out for avocado or grapeseed oil for a similar richness.
Black Pepper: Can be switched out for white pepper or another spice like paprika.
Add-ins could include diced dried apricots for a bit of sweetness to offset the salt. Cooked quinoa, bulgur, or farro can add texture and make the salad more filling as a stand-alone vegan meal.
Alternatively, try chopping up some tangy sun-dried tomatoes into the salad or orange or red bell peppers for an additional bit of crunch.
Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For This chickpea feta salad:
Tip #1: Prep in Advance: Chop and prepare all your ingredients ahead of time, especially the ones that require washing and cutting, like the cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley. Store the prepped ingredients in separate airtight containers until you’re ready to use. This saves time and makes it easier to throw the salad together when you’re ready to eat on hot days.
Tip #2: Customize to Taste: Don’t be afraid to customize the salad based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Feel free to swap out ingredients or adjust quantities to suit your taste buds.
Tip #3: DIY Salad Kits: Create your salad kits by portioning ingredients into individual containers or bags. This way, when you’re ready to make the salad, everything is conveniently organized and easy to grab.
To serve this summer chickpea salad for a leisurely lunch, scoop it into a bowl or onto a plate. Enjoy it as a side dish to any meat entree as part of a complete and satisfying meal. With its refreshing flavors and nutritious garbanzo beans, this salad is perfect for the summer months. It’s the perfect recipe to have on hand when you need a break from leafy green salads but want something nutritious on your dinner plate.
After making your summer chickpea salad, store it in a covered container in the fridge to keep the avocado from browning and the salad freshest. It’ll stay fresh for a few days, making it a delicious option for quick and easy weekly meals. Just stir it before serving to re-distribute the flavors.
I’d love to hear from you! If you try out chickpea salad this summer or have any questions about our recipes, leave a comment below. Your feedback helps me improve and creates a community of food lovers sharing their experiences. Let’s chat!
Chickpea Feta Summer Salad With Avocado
Equipment
- 1 Salad Bowl
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Paring Knife
- 1 Chopping Knife
Ingredients
Chickpea Feta Salad
- 2 250 ml Cans of Chickpeas Or one large can, drained
- ½ English Cucumber Sliced lengthwise and cut up
- ½ Cup Italian Parsley Cut Up
- 1 Small Red Onion Diced
- 1 250ml Can of Sliced Black Olives Drained
- 1 500ml Tub of Feta in Brine Crumbled
- 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes Sliced in Half
- 3 Avocado Diced
The Salad Dressing
- 1 Lemon Juiced
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
Preparing the Salad
- Drain the canned chickpeas2 250 ml Cans of Chickpeasand the black olives (if using) and put in salad bowl.2 250 ml Cans of Chickpeas, 1 250ml Can of Sliced Black Olives
- Cut the English cucumber down the center. Cut into chunks and add to salad.½ English Cucumber
- Wash and then slice in half the cherry tomatoes and add.2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes
- Peel, pit, dice the avocados before adding to salad bowl.3 Avocado
- Wash and chop the Italian parsley. Add more or less as preferred.½ Cup Italian Parsley
- Dice the red onion and add to salad.1 Small Red Onion
- Drain the brine from the Feta and crumble on the salad.1 500ml Tub of Feta in Brine
The Dressing
- In measuring cup squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon be sure to remove seeds. The juice should be about ¼c.1 Lemon
- Add the olive oil and black pepper and mix well.¼ Cup Olive Oil, 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- Pour over the chickpea salad and toss to coat everything well before chilling.
- Serve this salad chilled. The longer it marinates the better the flavor so make ahead by at least two hours.