Chickpea Feta Salad – Carmy

April 18, 2024

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Posted: Apr 18, 2024 Last Modified: Apr 17, 2024 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

This lemony chickpea feta salad is a refreshing and filling recipe perfect for any occasion! From meal prepping to a BBQ side to a picnic, you’ll want to make extra, as everyone will want seconds. Feta, chickpeas, and red onions tossed in a homemade lemon-basil vinaigrette, this flavorful chickpea salad is ready in under 20 minutes!

If you want to throw together something that doubles as a main or side dish, this lemony chickpea and feta salad is just what you need! It’s perfect for a quick and easy lunch or for bringing to parties.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s very easy to throw together, especially if you need something (like for a potluck) last minute! You can whip this hearty salad up in under 20 minutes. The part that took the longest for me was chopping up the onion and basil!
It’s a great alternative to a leafy salad. Oftentimes, we think of iceberg, romaine, or spinach when we think of salad but this lettuce-less chickpea salad is a sturdy, satisfying, and flavorful option.
It’s so tasty, and it’s even tastier the next day when all the flavors have time to meld together in the fridge! So it’s perfect for meal prepping, or you can just make a big batch so you have delicious leftovers the next day.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make chickpea feta salad.

vinaigrette — for the chickpea salad dressing, you’ll need fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil. I recommend using fresh lemon juice as you’ll need the lemon for lemon zest anyway, and fresh lemon juice tastes brighter, tangier, and doesn’t have a slightly bitter aftertaste that some bottled versions have. I also recommend using a good quality olive oil as it’ll be much more flavorful.
chickpeas — for ease, you can use canned chickpeas. If you’d like, you can use homemade chickpeas. I love using my instant pot to cook chickpeas as it’s convenient and I’ll use the extra chickpeas to make hummus. If using canned chickpeas, make sure to drain and rinse them well. You’ll need around 3 to 3½ cups of chickpeas which is usually around 2 cans, depending on the size of cans you have on hand. This recipe is very flexible so the extra ½ cup of chickpeas is totally fine if you have larger cans.
red onion — I use half of a large red onion. If you’re worried about the bite from the onions, you can soak the chopped onion in some cold water for 10 to 15 minutes before adding them to the salad.
feta — feta adds a briny, tangy, and sharp flavor to the chickpea salad and pairs wonderfully with the lemon flavor. I like to cut my feta into tiny bite-sized pieces, but you can also crumb it by hand. I recommend buying a block and not pre-crumbled feta when you buy feta. Pre-crumbled feta can end up being dry. Feta, sold in a salt brine, helps keep it from drying out and keeps the feta from turning sour.
basil — fresh basil pairs so well with lemon. I love its sweet, pungent, and slightly spicy flavor.

How to Make Lemon Chickpea Feta Salad

Set of two photos showing dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and salad ingredients added to a bowl.

To a mixing bowl, add the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix until well combined and set aside.
To a large bowl, add the chickpeas, red onions, feta, and basil.

Set of two photos showing dressing added to the ingredients in the bowl then tossed to combine.

Add the dressing over the ingredients and toss well to combine. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.
If you have time, chill the chickpea salad before serving.

A close up view of a bowl of chickpea feta salad with a slice of lemon.

Recipe Tips and Notes

If you’re using canned chickpeas and you find that they have a bit of a bitter taste, I like to cook them for a couple of minutes in broth and garlic powder to add flavor. To do so, I add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a pot with enough broth to cover them with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. Then, I simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before draining and cooling.
To cut the basil into ribbons, stack a couple of basil leaves together and roll them up tightly. Then, start cutting them on the short end to create ribbons.
This chickpea feta salad has a decent amount of protein but I like to add some grilled chicken or steak on top for even more protein and to make it even more filling.

A meal prep container of chickpea feta salad with lemon slices.

Make Ahead Tips

Meal prep: store the chickpea feta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy straight from the fridge.