This Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad is the quickest 10 minute vegetarian meal you'll ever make. It's loaded with garbanzo beans, sliced cucumber, Kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, red onion, and tons of fresh parsley tossed in a super simple white wine vinaigrette.
You Will Love This
- It's so quick and easy! We're talking 10 minutes from start to finish! All you've got to do is slice the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions and mince the garlic for a simple, flavor-packed dinner! No fancy kitchen gadgets or cooking skills required. If you're looking for other quick and easy salad recipes be sure to check out my Olive Oil Braised Chickpeas, Greek Chickpea Pasta Salad, and Roasted Mediterranean Artichoke Hearts.
- It's fresh and flavorful! When the temps are in the 90's and the humidity is 80%, fresh salads are my go-to meal. This Mediterranean chickpea salad is a great way to use up veggies from the garden, farmer's market or CSA this summer!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Garbanzo Beans - Also known as chickpeas, garbanzo beans are the star of this dish. However, if you don't have any on hand I've used white beans or Great Northern beans in their place with great success! Be sure to drain them - you can rinse them if you like but I usually don't.
- Cherry Tomatoes - You could also use grape tomatoes in place of the cherry tomatoes. Or even diced Roma maters. You could also add red bell peppers in place of the tomatoes.
- Mini Cucumbers - Regular-sized cucumbers will work just fine in this recipe as well, but I love how bite-size the mini cukes are when they're sliced.
- Kalamata Olives - You could use black olives or even green olives in place of the Kalamata olives in this recipe if you'd like.
- Fresh Parsley - The fresh herbs in this garbanzo bean salad is really what gives it the burst of fresh flavor. You could sub cilantro, dill, mint, or even basil if you prefer though. But dried herbs are not going to give you the same flavor as fresh here.
- Red Onion - You could also substitute white or yellow onion in place of the red onion or even a shallot.
- Olive Oil - Try to find an extra virgin olive oil that is cold-pressed and organic for the best flavor.
- White Wine Vinegar - You could also use red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice in place of the white wine vinegar.
- Fresh Garlic - You could use garlic powder in place of the fresh minced garlic in this recipe. I'd recommend about ¼-1/2 a teaspoon or so of garlic powder.
- Dried Herbs - The dried oregano and dried thyme in the dressing pair really well with the fresh parsley in the salad to add another layer of flavor.
- Dijon Mustard - You could use yellow mustard in place of the Dijon in this recipe, but I love the complex acidity that Dijon mustard adds. And don't worry - your dressing won't taste like mustard. The Dijon acts as the emulsifier in this dressing recipe.
Instructions
Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, parsley, and onion to a large bowl.
Add olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh garlic, oregano, thyme, Dijon, and a couple large pinches of Kosher salt and black pepper to a measuring cup or small bowl.
Mix until well combined. You can also add the ingredients to a mason jar and shake well.
Pour over chickpea salad.
Toss to combine.
Garnish with fresh parsley and crumbled feta cheese (try vegan feta cheese if you want to keep it vegan) and serve with whole wheat pita bread and hummus. Drizzle with my quick and easy yogurt sauce for extra flavor!
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Make Ahead Instructions
- This garbanzo bean salad is great for meal prep or an easy side dish! You can make it ahead of time and it will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If you know you'll be enjoying this salad a later date you can also wait to add the salad dressing until just before serving.
- This is one of my favorite salads to make on Sunday night and then enjoy leftovers throughout the week for a quick and easy lunch.
Tips
- Switch up the veggies in this chickpea salad to suit your family's taste or use up what you've got in the fridge. I'm not a huge raw tomato fan so I usually add extra sliced cucumber or olives, or dice up a bell pepper instead. Customize this recipe and make it your own!
- To bulk up this salad, I like to serve it with pita bread and a hearty dollop of hummus also! You could also add grilled chicken, roasted salmon, or diced avocado for extra protein.
- If you have a couple extra minutes, try throwing together my quick and easy Dill Yogurt Sauce. It's a cool tangy sauce loaded with fresh dill and lemon flavor that will take just a couple minutes to make! It would be the perfect drizzle for this salad.
FAQ
Yes! Canned garbanzo beans are one of my favorite ways to bulk up a meal. They are the star of this Greek garbanzo bean salad, but they're also a great way to add some extra protein to your taco meat, a creamy soup recipe, or your favorite deli sandwich. Canned chickpeas are dried garbanzo beans that have been cooked and then canned so they are ready to eat!
No, you don't! Which is what makes garbanzo beans so versatile and delicious. Canned garbanzo beans come cooked already so you can easily add them to any salad or meal to bulk it up and add some protein! If you want to make canned chickpeas even more tender, you can try braising them in olive oil.
Yes! They are the same thing and the terms can be used interchangeably. When looking for them at the grocery store, keep your eyes peeled for both terms as some brands refer to them as garbanzo beans, while other brands call them chickpeas.
I prefer not to categorize foods as good or bad for you, but garbanzo beans are a great source of fiber and protein - and best of all, they taste amazing! This garbanzo bean salad does a great job of showcasing their mild flavor, but they're a delicious addition to almost any meal - and they're a great meat replacement if you're trying to eat more vegetarian meals!
Easy Vegetarian Dishes
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Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad
This Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad is the quickest 10 minute vegetarian meal you'll ever make. It's loaded with garbanzo beans, sliced cucumber, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, red onion, and tons of fresh parsley tossed in a super simple white wine vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup sliced mini cucumbers
- 1 cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ a small red onion, diced
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Serve with:
- fresh chopped parsley
- feta cheese
- pita bread
- hummus
- easy yogurt sauce
Instructions
- Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, parsley, and onion to a large bowl.
- In a small measuring cup, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, thyme, Dijon, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.
- Mix until well combined. Pour over chickpea mixture.
- Toss to combine evenly.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and crumbled feta cheese and serve with whole wheat pita bread and hummus. Drizzle with my quick and easy yogurt sauce for extra flavor!
Notes
Switch up the veggies in this chickpea salad to suit your family's taste or use up what you've got in the fridge. I'm not a huge raw tomato fan so I usually add extra sliced cucumber in their place. Sometimes we don't have any fresh cucumber so I'll add more olives instead. Customize this recipe and make it your own!
To bulk up this salad, I like to serve it with pita bread and a hearty dollop of hummus also!
If you have a couple extra minutes, try throwing together my quick and easy Dill Yogurt Sauce. It's a cool tangy sauce loaded with fresh dill and lemon flavor that will take just a couple minutes to make! It would be the perfect drizzle for this salad.
Keywords: garbanzo salad, chickpea Mediterranean salad, chickpea salad recipe
Kylie
Another delicious recipe! Even our 4 year old loved this one - especially with pita bread and hummus!
★★★★★
Kylie
Your family is going to love this Greek chickpea salad! It's fresh, loaded with flavor, and SUPER easy to make!
★★★★★
Jen
I made this as a meal prep recipe and it stayed great all week. I had to switch up the veggies a bit for what I could find (during Coronavirus) but having tons of fresh herbs made this so delicious. I will definitely keep in the rotation.
★★★★★
Kylie Lato
Woohoo! I'm so glad you enjoyed this salad - it's one of our family's favorites too! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Jen. I really appreciate it 🙂