Roasted Chickpea Salad with Mediterranean Dressing
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This roasted chickpea salad is filled with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and delicious crunchy veggies! It’s the perfect light lunch or side dish packed with fuss-free ingredients to keep you full until dinnertime.
Love this? Try my Greek Chickpea Salad and Chickpea Buddha Bowl!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love It
This roasted chickpea salad is my new go-to idea for lunch.
It’s brimming with fresh flavors and gets a hit of protein from the roasted chickpeas! It’s naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and packed with healthy fats.
The crisp and crunchy veggies really shine in this salad. And I love the tangy Mediterranean dressing. It’s light but zesty, coating each ingredient with just the right amount of authentic flavor. Plus, it’s easy to make with only a few ingredients.
And hey, the entire recipe is dreamy to look at with its bright colors!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Roasted Chickpeas
- Chickpeas: aka garbanzo beans, they’re the perfect convenient and inexpensive source of protein for this salad.
- Dried oregano and cumin: For a hint of herby goodness and flavor.
- Sweet paprika: Balances the spicy cumin with some smokiness.
- Extra virgin olive oil
Mediterranean Dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil: The base of the dressing gives the salad a smooth flavor loaded with healthy fats.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice: I prefer using freshly squeezed juice for any vinaigrette. It’s acidic but zingy and bright.
- Dried oregano: Gives the dressing a herby flavor that works well with the fresh lemon juice.
Salad
- Head lettuce: Butterhead lettuce, Boston lettuce, and Bibb lettuce are all great options for this salad. They’re crunchy, don’t go soggy when soaked with dressing, and aren’t too peppery.
- Red onion: Thinly sliced for a hint of sweet crunchiness.
- Cucumber: Grab English cucumbers, which are seedless and super crunchy.
- Kalamata olives: For a touch of tartness. Pick out the darkest olives you can find, as they’re perfectly ripe.
- Feta cheese: Indulgently tangy and perfect for adding extra protein.
- Cherry tomatoes: Juicy enough to balance the tangy feta!
How to Make This Roasted Chickpea Salad
Step-by-step overview. Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Roast the chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Then, toss the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl with olive oil, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper (photo 1). Spread your chickpeas in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast them for 20-25 minutes (photos 2 and 3).
Prepare the herb dressing: While the chickpeas are roasting, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Put your salad together: In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and kalamata olives. Set the bowl to one side. Once the crispy chickpeas are roasted and have cooled slightly, toss them into the salad (photo 4).
Mix: Drizzle the Mediterranean dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the salad before serving!
Substitution and Variations
- As with any salads, feel free to substitute ingredients you don’t have available or you don’t like.
- You can substitute feta for mozzarella bites.
- Fresh ripe tomatoes are best, but you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead if they’re out of season.
- If you can’t find Kalamata olives, black olives will also be ok.
- You can use other spices for the roasted chickpeas. Things like garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or cinnamon are great alternatives for adding extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- It’s a fantastic, cold lunch or light dinner that you can pair with a fresh slice of bread.
- You can also serve it as a side with roast chicken or salmon.
- It’s also a great side dish for any summer dinner.
How to Store
I recommend eating this salad immediately for the best results.
If you want to make it ahead, store everything separately and assemble the salad before eating it. This should keep your salad crispy and delicious.
You can keep leftover roasted chickpeas in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
For the dressing, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within a week. Just remember to shake it well or stir before serving.
More Chickpea Recipes
If you try this roasted chickpea salad recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
Roasted Chickpea Salad with Mediterranean Dressing
Ingredients
For the Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas - drained and rinsed (240g drained)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- salt and pepper
For the Mediterranean Dressing
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 head lettuce
- ½ small red onion - thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - quartered
- 1 cucumber - diced
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup feta cheese - crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet (note 1).
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until the chickpeas are crispy. Stir them after 15 minutes for even roasting.
- While the chickpeas are roasting, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl to make the dressing.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and kalamata olives.
- Once the chickpeas are roasted and cooled slightly, add them to the salad. Drizzle the Mediterranean dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
- Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over the salad. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
Nutrition
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