This Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is so delicious and loaded with flavors and colors that will make you come back for more. Serve as a salad or stuffed inside pita bread to make it meal.

Prep Time20 mins

chilling time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 20 mins

Course: Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 161kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Chickpeas / garbanzo beans Canned or dry beans soaked and cooked
  • 2 cups English Cucumber chopped into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes sliced or halved
  • 1/2 cup Red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives (sliced) I used Greek variety
  • 3 tbsp Parsley chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp Za’atar Spice or Arabic spice blend optional

For the dressing

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • to taste Salt
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard powder

Instructions

  • Start with chopping the vegetables and placing them in large mixing bowl.
  • If using canned chickpeas, drain the chickpeas and rinse it well under running water. If using fresh chickpeas, soak the beans overnight and then cook it with salt until the chickpeas are tender and soft, but not mushy. I use my Instant Pot to cook the chickpeas. Soak them overnight and then change the soaking water and add fresh water along with a teaspoon of salt. Now set the Instant Pot in pressure cook mode on high and cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release after 10 minutes and drain the chickpeas and use it in the recipe.
  • Add the drained / cooked chickpeas to the mixing bowl along with the rest of the vegetables.
  • Add the Arabic spice or the za’atar spice to the bowl and give it a good toss.
  • In a small bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned under the dressing and mix it well using a whisk. Keep aside.
  • Now add the prepared dressing and mix it well to coat. Cover it with a plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  • Enjoy with some fresh bread or warm soup or as is!

Notes

Expert tips

  • When cooking chickpeas make sure to add some salt. This way the chickpeas soaks the salt when cooking and does not taste bland.
  • If Za’atar spice is not available, add any spice blend of your choice. I have even used Italian spice blend and it works great as well. To give it an Indian twist, we could add chat masala or cumin powder.
  • When soaking and cooking fresh chickpeas, make extra and freeze it. This way we can have chickpeas ready to make this salad anytime we want.
  • If you prefer spicy salad, add some cayenne chili powder or even finely chopped chilies to the salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 3mg