Greek Chickpea Salad with Cucumber, Olives and Feta

Greek chickpea salad combines chickpeas with the classic Greek salad ingredients: crisp cucumber, ripe tomatoes, red onion, green pepper, Kalamata olives and feta, all tossed in an olive oil, vinegar and oregano dressing. It needs no cooking if you use canned chickpeas, takes about 15 minutes, and is filling enough to eat on its own. Chickpeas, revithia in Greek, are a long-standing part of Greek cooking, from the slow-baked chickpea stew of Sifnos to simple soups. For other Greek pulse dishes, try fasolada, gigantes plaki and Greek lentil soup.

Greek chickpea salad recipe

Serves: 4 servings. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: none. Total: about 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 cans (15 oz / 400 g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1½ cups (225 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced
• ½ cup (75 g) Kalamata olives, pitted and halved, such as our Kalamata olives
• 4 oz (115 g) feta, cubed or crumbled
• A handful of parsley, chopped

Dressing

• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil, such as our Rapti Koroneiki olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp dried Greek oregano
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Drain the chickpeas, rinse them under cold water and shake them dry. Patting them with a towel helps the dressing cling.
2. Whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
3. Put the chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, pepper and olives in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss well.
4. Fold in the feta and parsley. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and vinegar.
5. Serve straight away, or chill for 20–30 minutes so the chickpeas absorb the dressing.

Canned or dried chickpeas?

Canned chickpeas make this a quick, no-cook salad. Drain and rinse them well to remove the starchy liquid, and check the label if you are watching salt, since canned chickpeas are often salted. Dried chickpeas give a firmer, nuttier result: soak them overnight in plenty of cold water, then simmer them in fresh water for 1–1½ hours until tender. About 1 cup (200 g) dried chickpeas makes roughly 2½–3 cups cooked. Cooked chickpeas freeze well, so it is worth making a large batch.

Make it taste like a real Greek salad

• Ripe tomatoes: cherry tomatoes are reliable all year; in summer use large ripe tomatoes cut into chunks.
• Good olives: Kalamata olives add a fruity, rich saltiness. Our Kalamata vs black olives guide explains why they taste so different from canned black olives.
• Feta in brine: it has the creamiest texture. Feta is a protected designation of origin in the EU, made mainly from sheep’s milk in defined regions of Greece.
• Dried oregano: crumble it between your fingers into the dressing. Dried Greek oregano is strong and aromatic, so a teaspoon is enough.
• Good olive oil: the dressing is raw, so a fruity Greek extra virgin olive oil makes a real difference.

If you want the original salad without chickpeas, see our Greek salad (horiatiki) recipe; and for a pasta version, our Greek orzo salad and Greek pasta salad use the same dressing idea.

Variations

• Lemony: swap the vinegar for lemon juice, as in our lemon vinaigrette.
• Herby: add chopped dill and mint with the parsley.
• Dairy free: leave out the feta and add extra olives, capers or toasted seeds.
• Warm: toss warm, freshly cooked chickpeas in the dressing first; they absorb more flavour as they cool.
• Spiced: add a pinch of our homemade Greek seasoning to the dressing.

Serving ideas

Serve it as a main salad with warm pita, as a side with pork souvlaki or Greek lemon chicken, or spoon it into a pita with tzatziki. It also packs well for lunch boxes: keep the dressing separate if you are adding salad leaves.

Storing chickpea salad

Without leafy greens, the salad keeps well in a covered container in the fridge for 3–4 days, and the chickpeas improve as they soak up the dressing. The cucumber softens over time, so add it fresh if you are making the salad well ahead. Refrigerate it within 2 hours of preparing, and keep it cool in a lunch bag with an ice pack.

Find more salads in the Greek pantry recipes and olives in the Kalamata olives collection.

Sources

• EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EC) No 1829/2002 registering “Feta” as a protected designation of origin
• USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety

Greek chickpea salad: frequently asked questions