Lemony Chickpea Feta Salad (Gluten Free + Vegan Option)

Jun 19, 2022 (updated Mar 19, 2024) by Nyssa Tanner 48 Comments

This lemony chickpea feta salad is a super quick and incredibly satisfying recipe that is picnic ready! Made with sturdy chickpeas (garbanzo beans), bright and briny feta cheese, fresh herbs, and a simple and zesty lemon vinaigrette. It’s ready in less than 20 minutes, and absolutely packed with flavor! Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan option.

A large ceramic bowl of lemony chickpea feta salad with a lemon wedge and a spoon dipped into the salad. — A fresh and easy-to-assemble chickpea feta salad with bright, fresh herbs and a fresh lemon salad dressing.

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 Smashed Chickpea Salad, and this Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale and Avocado Salad, but sometimes want something even simpler and faster to make.

For those days when you want to be out the door and doing the thing that you’re most excited to be doing as soon as possible!

Which is where this lemony chickpea and feta salad recipe comes in!

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 fresh and lemony 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 is bursting with bright flavor, and that the whole family will enjoy!

It’s delicious on it’s own with some chips or on bread, but also makes an excellent side dish for grilled chicken, fish, or as a part of a colorful vegetarian spread.

🌿 And because it’s so hardy and will easily keep for several days, it’s incredibly meal prep friendly, and just PERFECT for an easy lunch option, your next camping trip (done this so many times!!), and potlucks.

A close up image of a spoon scooping out some chickpea salad from a white speckled ceramic bowl.

Ingredients for chickpea feta salad. — Canned chickpeas and creamy feta are the star of this couldn’t-be-easier recipe! The fresh parsley, diced red onion, and lemony dressing brighten up the dish for a STUNNER of a share-worthy salad.

Some key ingredient notes!

This easy salad is made with just a handful of simple, inexpensive ingredients that you may already have stocked in your fridge and pantry. It’s also incredibly versatile, and can easily be made with plant based cheese instead of cow or sheep’s feta.

Canned chickpeas keep the prep time at a minimum. Of course if you’d like to cook some fresh chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans!) that would totally work too.

This is my favorite brand of canned chickpeas.

The briny, creamy texture of the feta cheese is the most delightful compliment to the sturdy chickpeas. You can crumble it or dice it into little cubes (which is my favorite way to make this salad – but not all feta cheese will hold up to being cut into squares).

The fresh herbs are a total non-negotiable for their light vegetal flavor. To keep this recipe as simple as possible I’ve chosen to only include parsley. But fresh dill, chives, and mint would also be delicious as a yummy extra!

For the lemon vinaigrette – fresh lemon and lemon zest is a must! They elevate every other flavor in this recipe and undoubtedly outshine jarred lemon juice.

The zip of the red onion is also a *chefs kiss* compliment to the more earthy salad components. Thinly sliced green onion or some finely minced shallot would be reasonable substitutes.

How to make this salad vegan-friendly

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 creamy yet sturdy, and the flavor is remarkably similar to the real deal. The ingredients are also top notch!
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.

A large ceramic bowl of lemony chickpea feta salad garnished with a lemon wedge and fresh parsley.

A few simple variations

There’s so many straightforward swaps you could make in this recipe based on what you like or what you have on hand. Here’s some ideas!

Trade the chickpeas for white beans. Great northern beans or cannellini beans would both be delicious!
Use another dressing. Have another light 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 wonderful!

How to make lemony chickpea feta salad: Dressing ingredients in a large glass bowl. — Add all of the lemon dressing to a bowl large enough for all the other ingredients.

How to make lemony chickpea feta salad: Dressing whisked together in a large glass bowl. — Add all of the lemon dressing to a bowl large enough for all the other ingredients.

A spoon scooping up some lemony chickpea feta salad. — Serve the salad right away, or move to the refrigerator to keep cool until you’re ready to dig in.

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. 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 in the dressing!

A bowl of chickpea salad with diced red onion, cubes of feta cheese, chopped parsley, black pepper, and a lemon slice, served with a silver spoon.

Close-up of a chickpea salad with diced red onions, feta cheese cubes, chopped parsley, and herbs, all mixed together.

If you enjoyed this chickpea salad we’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a great place to get your questions answered, and 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!