Chickpea Salad Recipe

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4.77 from 30 votes

This Chickpea Salad Recipe is fresh, filling, and tossed with a lemon dressing you’ll want to use on everything.

Prep Time25

Cook Time25

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Salad, Vegetarian

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chickpea salad, chickpea salad recipe

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $11.06

Equipment

Sheet pan (15" x 10") lined

Ingredients

Chickpeas

1 can (15-ounces) chickpeas rinsed, drained, and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad

1 cup pearled couscous see note 1
1-1/2 cups chopped cucumber
1-1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper diced, optional
Crumbled feta cheese optional

Dressing (see note 2)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 large lemon

US - Metric

Instructions

Roast Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400°F. Thoroughly dry the rinsed chickpeas—using a salad spinner works great. Add the chickpeas to a bowl with oil and spices. Toss to coat. Spread on a lined sheet pan and roast for 18–22 minutes, shaking halfway. I like them best at 20 minutes—crispy but not too hard.
Couscous: Prepare according to package directions or according to method in note 3.
Dressing: Zest a lemon for 1/2 tsp and juice it for 3 tbsp. Add everything to a jar, then season to taste (I use 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper). Seal and shake well. Taste and adjust if needed.
Assemble: Add cooled couscous to a large bowl then add in the veggies and cooled chickpeas. Drizzle on dressing only to what you’ll eat that day—salad doesn’t sit well once dressed. Sprinkle feta on each serving, if desired.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Pearled (Israeli) couscous has larger grains than Moroccan (quick) couscous. Be sure to use the correct type of couscous in this recipe.

Note 2: This makes more dressing than you’ll likely need, but I’d rather you have extra than run out! Store leftovers in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. It may separate—just let it sit at room temp for 15 minutes, then shake well to mix.

Note 3: Bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup pearled couscous. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain any excess water. Let cool completely.

Storage: This salad is best enjoyed fresh. For longer storage, keep the dressing separate from the salad, and leave out the olives and feta until you're ready to enjoy.

Nutrition