This Chickpea Chopped Salad is a mash up of a Greek Salad mixed with some crispy roasted chickpeas and the most delicious chopped salad dressing you'll ever make! It's perfect for prepping ahead and taking to work or keeping on hand in the fridge for busy days.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I live for an easy lunch. This Chickpea Chopped Salad is exactly that. It's easy to prep ahead. Lasts for a few days when store in the fridge, and packs some serious flavor and protein. If you are ever looking to mix things up with it, you can use my sumac vinaigrette from fattoush salad, which also goes great on this one!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Crispy Chickpeas - I keep canned chickpeas stocked at all times so I can not only make hummus, my fav baked chickpea dish, or throw a handful or two into the oven to throw on salads. It's an easy way to add protein into a meal without having to make chicken, steak, seafood etc. In the Chickpea Chopped Salad recipe you'll see below, there are chickpeas two ways. One is seasoned with an easy spice blend and roasted until crispy, and the other way is just drained and rinsed straight out of the can. Double protein and double texture!
- Cherry Tomatoes - you can't have a Greek inspired chop without tons of tomatoes! It's tomato season, so go snag some at the store and get cooking!
- Cucumbers - another food that I always have on hand! I love a Persian cucumber as they are smaller, easier to chop and the skin is a little bit easier to bite into so no peeling required!
- Herbs - my favorite way to add lots of flavor quickly! I'm using parsley and mint and basil in this one! But feel free to add chives if you have them on hand. They're an excellent addition.
- Roasted Red Bell Peppers - if you have time to fire up the grill and make some yourself- please do! Otherwise, snag a jar from the store and give them a rough chop. It's a nice addition of sweetness from the pepper.
- Feta - the salty briney feta really makes this salad shine. Make sure to buy the sheets of feta in the brine - it's the best in my opinion.
Substitutions:
- Feta - Feel free to omit the feta to make this Chickpea Chopped Salad dairy-free, or swap it for bocconcini/mozzarella pearls if you don't like feta.
- Herbs - If you have chives they'd be a great addition.
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Chickpea Chopped Salad
Step 1: Start by preheating your oven to 425°F. Place chickpeas onto a parchment lined baking sheet and toss them with the olive oil, salt and spices.
Step 2: Roast for 20 minutes until crispy, remove, and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to keep them crispy.
Step 3: Next, get started on the dressing. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Step 4: I like to make the dressing at the bottom of the salad bowl and then add all of my salad ingredients on top - it's just one less thing to wash. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red pepper, and herbs to the bowl and toss to combine.
Step 5: Taste and season as needed. Add the feta cheese, and toss in the roasted chickpeas. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.
How to Store Chickpea Chopped Salad
You can store this in the fridge for a couple days, but eating it fresh would have the best taste and texture. Instead, you can store some components separately like the crispy chickpeas, the dressing, etc.
How to Freeze Chickpea Chopped Salad
I do not really recommend any component of this salad. It really should just be made with fresh ingredients for the best taste and quality.
Tips & Tricks
This Chickpea Chopped Salad best served just after tossing, so that the chickpeas remain crispy. It will last a few days in the fridge, though the texture will change.
FAQs
What is chopped salad made of?
A chopped salad has a couple of components. Usually the base is some variety of greens like romaine lettuce. Then, finely chopped vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, etc. are mixed in. Fruit can also be added. Next, there is a cheese component, whether that's feta, cheddar, or mozzarella. Some herbs are always a great addition whether that be basil, mint, chives, or parsley. And finally a vinaigrette or dressing to drizzle over everything and toss before serving.
What's the difference between chopped and tossed salad?
In a chopped salad all of the ingredients are finely diced so you get a bit of everything in each bite. A tossed salad typically has larger pieces so you may only get a couple different components in a bite.
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Chickpea Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the Chickpeas
- â…“ cup canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
For the Salad
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 whole Persian cucumbers sliced
- â…“ cup roasted red peppers roughly chopped
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh basil torn
- 4-6 ounces feta cheese crumbled from a block of feta
Instructions
For the Roasted Chickpeas
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place chickpeas onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and spices. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 20 minutes until crispy. Remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to keep them crispy.
For the Chopped Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted red pepper, and herbs to the bowl and toss to combine. Taste and season as needed. Add the feta cheese, and toss in the roasted chickpeas. Adjust seasoning as needed and serve.
This was spectacular! I left out the garlic and the roasted red peppers. Only used one Persian cucumber.
Hi! I am making for a crowd so I tripled the ingredients & dressing . I hope it’s not too much garlic? I’m also going to add orzo.
sounds delightful!