This lemony chickpea feta salad is a super simple and incredibly satisfying recipe that is picnic ready! Made with sturdy chickpeas (garbanzo beans), bright and briny feta cheese, fresh herbs, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. Ready in less than 20 minutes and absolutely packed with flavor! Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan option.
The best lemony chickpea and feta salad
Do you have a go to sturdy summer salad that doesn’t require turning on the oven?
We love this Vegan Chickpea Salad (packed with all the veggies!), this Shrimp and Avocado Salad, and this Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad, but sometimes want something even simpler and faster.
Which is where this lemony chickpea and feta salad recipe comes in!
Because sunny summer days are meant for spur-of-the-moment picnics with simple yummy fare.
Even better if you’re parked on green green grass, under blue skies, with BARE FEET on the ground. I believe this with all of my heart.
All you need to make this simple salad is one bowl and about 20 minutes.
Chickpeas, feta, herbs, and red onion are tossed together with a zesty lemon vinaigrette for the best quick and easy salad that the whole family will enjoy!
It’s delicious on it’s own with some chips or bread, but also makes an excellent side dish for grilled chicken, fish, or as a part of a colorful vegetarian spread.
Why you’ll love this chickpea salad
It is:
- Simple and easy
- Bursting with bright flavor
- Fresh and lemony
- Meal prep friendly
- Perfect for an easy lunch, camping, picnics, and potlucks
- Satisfying
- Protein rich
- So delicious!
Ingredients and substitutions
This easy salad is made with just a handful of simple ingredients that you may already have stocked in your fridge and pantry.
It’s super versatile, gluten free, grain free, and can easily be made vegan.
Here’s what you need
- Chickpeas – Either canned or dried and cooked chickpeas both work well. I typically opt for canned because they keep the prep time at a minimum, but if you have the time the texture of freshly cooked chickpeas is simply divine. This is my preferred cooking method for making chickpeas at home. This is my favorite brand of canned chickpeas.
- Feta – Either diced or crumbled, feta cheese adds a welcome briny flavor and creamy texture.
- Red onion – For a zippy bite – feel free to substitute with thinly sliced green onion, some finely minced shallot, or even a few cloves of chopped garlic.
- Parsley – Lots of fresh parsley brings some welcome green flavor. Other herbs can definitely be used instead! Cilantro, dill, chives, and mint would all be delicious! You could even use a combination of several for a more complex flavor profile.
- Simple lemony vinaigrette – Made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, a little honey, and salt and pepper.
How to make this salad vegan friendly
To make a vegan version of this salad all you need to do is make 2 easy swaps.
- Opt for dairy free feta cheese. This is my favorite vegan feta. The texture is super creamy yet sturdy, and the flavor is remarkably similar to the real deal. The ingredients are also top notch and minimally processed!
- Use maple syrup for the dressing instead of honey. Not all plant based folks avoid honey, but if you do, it’s a simple swap to make that doesn’t affect the flavor of the dish.
Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same thing?
Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same type of bean, so there is essentially no difference between them except for how they are labeled!
The name chickpea stems from the latin name cicer arietinum, which is the family of legumes that chickpeas (and many other beans) belong to, and garbanzo is the Spanish variation of the name.
Recipe variations
There’s so many simple swaps you could make in this recipe based on what you like or what you have on hand. Here’s some ideas!
- Swap the chickpeas for white beans. Great northern beans or cannellini beans would both be delicious!
- Instead of red onions use thinly sliced green onions (scallions), minced shallots, or chopped garlic.
- Switch out some of the herbs. Cilantro, dill, chives, mint, and even a small amount of fresh oregano would all be so fabulous!
- Use another dressing. Have a vinaigrette on hand that you love? Go ahead and use it instead of the lemony dressing!
- Add some extra ingredients. I love the simplicity of this salad, but you could always fill it in a little more by adding some other goodies. Cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, capers, diced cucumber, arugula, chopped spinach, quinoa, orzo pasta, or chopped chicken would all be delicious!
How to make chickpea feta salad
Are you guys ready for how easy this salad is to make?! It requires minimal chopping and only one bowl to mix everything together in (including the dressing!).
Here’s the step-by-step
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Toss salad together. Add chickpeas, feta, red onion, and parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve and enjoy! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to dig in. Enjoy!
Can this salad be made in advance?
Yes! This salad is quite hardy and can easily be made a day or so ahead of time.
And because the ingredients are all quite sturdy it holds up well in the refrigerator or in a cooler for a few days.
I would even say that it might be better the second day when the chickpeas and feta have had a chance to marinate!
Serving suggestions
This salad is delicious on it’s own with some chips, bread, or pita, but also makes an excellent side dish for grilled chicken, fish, or as a part of a colorful vegetarian spread.
You could also serve it over some salad greens with a grain like quinoa or rice, some avocado, and nuts or seeds for a hearty chickpea bowl!
Storage
This salad should keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, which makes it great for meal prep or for a camping trip!
Looking for some other ideas for what to make with chickpeas? Try these recipes!
- Smashed Chickpea Salad
- Simple Arugula Salad
- Spicy Watermelon Salad
- Vegan Summer Chickpea Salad
- 30 Minute Chickpea and Tomato Curry Soup
- Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale and Avocado Salad
- Loaded Greek Salad Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas
- Easy Gluten Free Italian Pasta Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!
PrintLemony Chickpea Feta Salad {Gluten Free + Vegan Option}
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This lemony chickpea feta salad is a super simple and incredibly satisfying summer ready salad that is picnic ready! Made with sturdy chickpeas or garbanzo beans, bright and briny feta cheese, fresh herbs, and a simple lemony vinaigrette. Ready in less than 20 minutes and absolutely packed with flavor! Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan option.
Ingredients
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces feta cheese, diced or crumbled
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Toss salad together. Add chickpeas, feta, red onion, and parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve and enjoy! Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to dig in. Enjoy!
Notes
To make this salad vegan swap the regular feta for a vegan feta cheese, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.
This salad should keep for 3-4 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cold prep
- Cuisine: Healthy
Jay says
Delicious! I used dill because I had no Parsley and only one can of beans because there’s just 2 of us. Same amount of dressing though 🙂 I bet if would be good mashed for a cracker topping.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yum! Dill sounds like the perfect substitute for the parsley. I’m so glad that you enjoyed and were able to make a little less to fit your needs! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Karen says
I love the idea of dill! It’s my fave so I’m making it with that instead!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! Would be so so delicious with dill. It’s also one of my favorite herbs! I hope you loved it, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Lindsey says
When I click “print recipe” an error page pops up.
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Lindsey! I’m sorry to hear you’re seeing an error message when you try to print the recipe. I would suggest clearing your browsing data and trying again. When you go to print a recipe from NK you will be prompted to sign up for Grow, which is a reader focused service that offers personalized browsing – allowing you save content, share content, and build recipe boxes with all your favorite recipes from sites across the internet. If you prefer not to sign up you can always cook from the recipe card in the blog post. I hope that is helpful, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Lisa says
So delicious! I couldn’t stop eating it. I wanted some light sides to make for bbq and this was perfect. I definately will be making this again.
Nyssa Tanner says
Oh I love to hear that! The side dishes are usually the best part, in my opinion 😉 So glad you enjoyed this salad, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Corinne says
Just made this- awesome! I love how bright and fresh it tastes and how easy it is to prepare. Extra points for items being easy to find— and available at Aldi! Thanks for sharing!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to leave your review and happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Kristina says
So easy and so delicious! I made it in about 15 minutes exactly as the recipe instructed and put it in the fridge for the next day. For my lunch today I smashed it up a bit to eat with crackers. I’ll definitely be keeping this in the rotation for home and any potlucks I might have coming up.
Nyssa Tanner says
Love to hear that you enjoyed this chickpea salad so much! Sounds delicious with some crackers for lunch – yum! Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughtful review, and happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Andrea says
What is the serving size?
Nyssa Tanner says
Hi Andrea! I just updated the recipe card’s nutrition information to reflect the exact serving size – it’s approximately 3/4 of a cup. Hope that’s helpful, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Deborah says
Made exactly as is and it was delish! Got lots of comments about how good it was. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad you loved this salad! Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
KiKi says
Fresh and healthy! I suggest making it ahead and adding the feta right before serving.
Nyssa Tanner says
So glad you enjoyed this salad! Happy cooking 🙂 – Nyssa
Barb says
Made this for a work get together. It’s delicious! Added a can of cannellini beans as we didn’t have enough chick peas in the pantry. Added mint with the parsley as suggested by another reviewer. Also added a can of no salt diced tomatoes. So yummy!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yum! Those sound like great substitutions and additions! Love to hear that you enjoyed this salad as much as we do 🙂 Happy cooking! – Nyssa
Linda says
Made this delicious salad today! I added halved cherry tomatoes, mostly for the color. But they added a nice note to this dish. Next time, I think I’ll try swapping dill for parsley. I grow dill, but not parsley.
I think this would make a wonderful offering at a potluck picnic.
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh cherry tomatoes in this salad sound wonderful – especially during the summer months when they’re so tasty and sweet! I think that dill would be a fabulous swap for the parsley. I’m a huge fan of it myself! Thanks for your comment, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Sharron says
OMG! Made it for my dinner last night. Delicious. Swapped out the parsley for mint. Yum. Posted on Facebook and all my friends want the recipe!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yess! Love that swap. Fresh herbs for the win always! Thanks for sharing the recipe, and happy cooking!! – Nyssa
Diana says
Just made your salad. Delicious! Only added one stalk of celery for crunch and a bit more dressing because… I just like a lot of dressing, lol! Thanks!
Nyssa Tanner says
Haha, I can relate! I love a lot of dressing myself 😉 So happy you enjoyed this fresh salad! Happy cooking! – Nyssa
Amanda says
I made this but used dill instead of parsley, added celery too. Amazing!! it’s a great filling for pitas. Highly recommend.
Nyssa Tanner says
Ohh those swaps and additions sound fantastic! I am a huge fan of fresh dill and I bet the crunch of celery is wonderful. Thank you for the thoughtful comment, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Kristal R says
I made this today. The dressing is perfectly balanced. Will definitely make again!
Nyssa Tanner says
Yess! So glad you loved this one and the bright lemony dressing. Homemade salad dressings are just the best, aren’t they?! Thank you for the thoughtful comment, and happy cooking! 🙂 – Nyssa
Jen T says
This is a perfect side to a grilled protein or just as a mid day snack. Very delish after a few hours in the fridge! Was skeptical about the honey, but it adds the right amount of balance! Thanks for sharing!
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so thrilled that you love this salad as much as we do! And I totally agree that the flavors get even better with a quick rest in the fridge 🙂 Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and happy cooking! – Nyssa
Keira Ball says
Really want to try this. Looks awesome.
Nyssa Tanner says
I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Massoud Rostam says
Very good
Nyssa Tanner says
I’m so glad you liked it!
P.Love Plaga says
Oooooh! Sent this one to Mary D too!!! 🙂 She will love!!!! I swear, feta makes her do the happy dance!!!
Nyssa Tanner says
We are one of the same! It definitely makes me do the happy dance 😉 xoxo