This chickpea salad tastes as bright as it looks, and works as a main course with crusty bread, or as a side for roasts, fish, prawns or simple pan seared garlic chicken thighs.
Chickpea Salad
I know it’s tempting to just grab a can of chickpeas, add green fluffage, toss with dressing and call it a day. And that has happened many a times around here, being a handy and somewhat virtuous quick meal option. But I never deemed any of those “good enough” to share here. I just feel like you need to do something to chickpeas to make them tastier – because dressing simply doesn’t stick to chickpeas. In this Middle Eastern chickpea salad, they’re spiced and pan fried. And in today’s, we’re marinating the chickpeas. Toss in dressing > warm in microwave > 20 minute marinade > chickpeas absorb flavour = tastier chickpeas. YES!
Warming the chickpeas briefly in the microwave makes them absorb the flavour of the dressing so much more effectively!
I’m calling it a Greek Marinated Chickpea Salad only because the dressing / marinade is based on Greek Salad. For no other reason. I do not hold this out to be authentically Greek! We’re just borrowing the oregano infused dressing from Greek Salad!
What you need
Here’s what you need for this chickpea salad:
Chickpeas – I’m just using canned here for convenience, but I’ve popped directions for cooking dried chickpeas in the recipe notes; Spinach – or anything similar that can be sliced thinly so it kind of melds in well with the chickpeas; Tomatoes – for pops of juicy freshness. Cherry or grape tomatoes, or large ones chopped into small pieces; Red onion – I like to do a simple quick pickle in vinegar, sugar and salt to make them floppy, bright pink, and add flavour. It takes just 30 minutes on the counter – or you can take the speedy option and microwave it for 2 minutes (which makes them instantly “pickled”) then just cool them; Feta – you’ll typically find some kind of “treat” in my main course salads – whether it’s nuts, croutons, bacon, parmesan. Today, it’s feta – on theme! Dressing – red wine vinegar (loads of alternatives in the recipe), extra virgin olive oil, garlic and oregano (the Greek influence), and mustard (for thickening – we need it, to stick to the chickpeas better).
How to make this Chickpea Salad
I think this recipe sounds more involved than it actually is – and you can totally talk it up to your friends. “We’re having a marinated chickpea salad with wilted spinach and pickled red onion with an oregano infused Greek dressing”, you’ll loftily tell them. But in reality, it’s actually a very low effort dish!
This salad also plates up quite nicely – rather than using a bowl like most salads, use a flat plate and pile it up high!
What to serve with chickpea salad
This is one of those salads that works as a main course or as a side dish. As a main course, it’s a great dinner for hot summer nights, or lunch all year round. I like to serve it with crusty bread on the side, or with flatbreads that you can tear and use to scoop up the chickpeas. It also travels extremely well, being one of those rare salads that keeps well for a few days. Think – work lunches, taking to picnics with friends. As a side dish, with the exception of Asian dishes and Indian food, I can’t think of many things I wouldn’t serve it with. Fabulous alongside a roast chicken, lamb or roast pork. Garlic prawns, pan seared fish, a simple baked chicken breast, sticky honey garlic chicken, pork chops or steak. It’s a natural fit alongside anything Mediterranean, Italian or Middle Eastern, and the flavours are on theme with Mexican food. Have I convinced you yet that it’s basically a great all rounder and that you must try it immediately??! 😉 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More chickpea recipes
More recipes using my favourite legume!
Life of Dozer
Nowhere to be seen while I filmed the chickpea salad….zero interest! Stark contrast to the intensive staring, heavy breathing and uncontrollable salivation when I’m shooting things like a big, fat, juicy prime rib…….
