Have you met my all-time favorite chickpea salad recipe? Sure, I have many beloved chickpea salads on the blog already, but this is my tried-and-true favorite from my cookbook, Love Real Food. In the book, I called it the “Outrageous Herbaceous Chickpea Salad,” which is exactly right!
“Here’s a simple chickpea salad that I could eat every single day. It’s bursting with fresh Mediterranean flavors, thanks to chopped bell pepper, parsley, red onion, and celery. Lemon and garlic take it from tasty to transcendent. This salad packs well, so it’s perfect for potlucks and picnics. It’s also a great lunch option, so long as your serving is large enough…”
I love this recipe as much today as I did when I created the recipe several years ago. In fact, I stand behind all of the cookbook recipes, and it makes me so happy to hear that you’re cooking from the book!
I’m truly a healthier eater when I have this salad in the fridge. It’s the perfect hearty side salad or mid-afternoon snack. Pile it onto a bed of greens, or cooked whole grains like farro or quinoa, or even onto your scrambled eggs or cheese nachos. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Watch How to Make Chickpea Salad
The Best Chickpea Salad
Three more reasons to love this recipe:
- This chickpea salad is beyond easy to throw together. Chop up a few ingredients, rinse and drain canned chickpeas, and stir it all together in a bowl!
- This salad packs great for lunch, picnics, road trips and plane rides.
- Bring this allergy-friendly salad along to your next potluck—it’s vegan/dairy free, gluten free, and nut free, for all to enjoy.
More Chickpea Salads to Enjoy
This chickpea salad is my go-to, but trust me, these chickpea salads are completely delicious as well.
- Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
- Favorite Quinoa Salad
- Greek Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Herbed Quinoa & Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing
- Jessica’s Marinated Chickpeas
- Lemony Lentil and Chickpea Salad with Radish and Herbs
Please let me know how your salad turns out in the comments! I hope this chickpea salad becomes your favorite, too.
Favorite Chickpea Salad
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: By hand
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
This chickpea salad recipe is the best! Keep this healthy chickpea salad in the fridge—it’s the perfect side salad, snack and meal component. It’s vegan and gluten free, too! Recipe yields 4 generous side salads or 6 medium.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1 bunch)
- ½ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small)
- ½ cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 1 ½ lemons), or more if needed
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Toss until combined. Taste and add additional lemon juice, salt, or pepper if necessary.
- Serve immediately, or chill until you’re ready to serve. Leftovers keep well, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
Notes
This recipe comes straight from my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Serving suggestions: Enjoy this salad as-is or serve it over greens or literally anything that could use some substance and vegetables (nachos or pasta, even). It’s nice with crumbled feta cheese as well.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Lynn Briand
This is my favorite chickpea salad, so versatile and it always is a hit!
I have changed it up,added olives, tomatoes, cheese, whatever I have on hand.
Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Lynn!