Lemony Chickpea Salad
Looking for a quick, refreshing lunch? This chickpea salad with fresh lemon is packed with fresh flavors including juicy cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chickpeas, and fresh mint and parsley. This is an easy lunch ready in less than 20 minutes!
I’m all about simplicity and this chickpea salad recipe is the perfect simple healthy lunch! This can be a main meal at lunch or a great side dish at dinner that is ready in less than 20 minutes. This salad is bursting with flavor and has health benefits too from all the fresh vegetables.
This is my go-to recipe on a busy weekday that I highly recommend adding to your recipe plans!
For another amazing summer salad, try out this Strawberry Balsamic Tofu Pasta Salad, Greek Cucumber Salad, Quinoa Chickpea Salad, Tuscan Pasta Salad or a refreshing Orzo Pasta Salad!
🥒Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- Chickpeas: For the quickest recipe, use canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed.) You can swap this out for another white bean such as Great Northern Beans.
- Cherry Tomato: Juicy and vibrant- these are a great addition to this chickpea salad!
- Cucumber: Creates a crisp crunch to the salad. I used a regular cucumber but you could also try an English cucumber.
Flavorful Additions
- Fresh Lemon: You will need the zest and juice of one large lemon for this recipe. The fresh lemon juice adds so much vibrance to this salad! This will be the main ingredient for the simple vinaigrette.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley tastes amazing in this recipe. You can use Italian parsley or curled leaf parsley.
- Mint: This adds a refreshing component to the recipe that pairs perfectly with the lemon. This is my favorite addition to this salad becomes its adds so much flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I recommend a high quality extra virgin olive oil as it will provide the best flavor and some lower quality olive oils have a bitterness.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
🔄Recipe Variations
- Different herbs: Try out fresh dill instead
- Add more veg: Red pepper pepper, spinach, or artichokes
- Add grains: Chilled couscous, quinoa, or barley would be delicious in this salad!
- Add more protein: White beans, kidney beans, sprinkle of hemp seeds, mini tofu cubes
- Add more flavor: Pesto, feta cheese, fresh basil, kalamata olives, or ripe avocado!
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained and rinsed chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, and finely chopped red onion.
2. Add the fresh parsley and mint to the bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
4. Pour the lemon dressing over the chickpea salad mixture.
Gently toss all the ingredients together until well combined and evenly coated with the lemon dressing.
5. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
Let the chickpea salad sit for about 10-20 minutes for best results (this allows the flavors to meld together). You can also refrigerate it for a while to let the flavors develop even further.
6. Before serving, give the salad a final toss and garnish with some extra chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
▶︎Serve this salad with this delicious vegan flatbread pizza!
❓Recipe FAQs
Fridge: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
This helps remove any excess salt or preservatives on the chickpeas will improve the taste of the chickpea salad.
No, this is not a requirement but recommended. As the chickpeas sit in the lemon marinade, they will become much more flavorful. I recommend at least 10 minutes (ideally 1 hour). This salad gets even better overnight!
Lemon zest adds brightness and citrusy flavor to this chickpea salad. Start by washing your lemon. Use a fine-grater, microplane, or zester specifically designed for citrus fruits. Gently rub the lemon against the grater or zester’s surface, gently rotating as you do this. Avoid grating too deeply into the white pith, as that can be bitter. Add this to your lemon dressing and stir.
▶︎Looking for more quick recipes? Check out this list of 43+ lazy vegan lunches and dinners or my delish Vegan BLT with garlic herb aioli!
Pro Tips
- If you have time, you can chill this salad for 1 hour and it will taste even better! The flavors will marinate together over time.
- Don’t forget to wash your tomato and cucumber before dicing. You do not need to peel your cucumber (unless you dislike the skin, but it has lots of nutrients!)
- Use a high quality olive oil for this salad. Low quality olive oil can add a bitterness to the salad.
Looking for more summer salads? Find 20+ Refreshing Vegan Salads here!
⇨Check out these other summer recipes⇦
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Lemony Chickpea Salad
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Equipment
- 1 Chef’s knife
- 1 Mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cucumber diced
- 1/4 red onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon*
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*
- 1/4 tsp salt add more to taste
- pinch of pepper
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained and rinsed chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, and finely chopped red onion.1 15 oz can chickpeas, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber, 1/4 red onion
- Add the fresh parsley and mint to the bowl.1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.Zest and juice of 1 large lemon*, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch of pepper
- Pour the lemon dressing over the chickpea salad mixture.
- Gently toss all the ingredients together until well combined and evenly coated with the lemon dressing.
- Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
- Let the chickpea salad sit for about 10-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. You can also refrigerate it for a while to let the flavors develop even further.
- Before serving, give the salad a final toss and garnish with some extra chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- If you have time, let this chill in the fridge for one hour before serving for the best flavor.
- This is an easy recipe to double for lunch for the week!
- This recipe is easily customizable. You can add in other ingredients like red pepper, spinach, artichokes, quinoa, other beans, avocado, and more!
- Store in the fridge for 4 days in an airtight container.
This scrumptious salad is a lunchtime favorite at our house! I make a big batch and we use it all week long.
I love how this salad makes the most of the flavor and texture of chickpeas. The lemon dressing is refreshing and light, but the salad itself has a nice crunchy texture with the chickpeas.
I could eat this for lunch all week long and never tire of it. So much bright flavor and I love how it’s great on its own or with some extra added protein. Leftovers make a great side dish for dinner too!
This lemon chickpea salad has the perfect flavor! The mint and lemon is so refreshing.
This was so fresh! I used veggies from my garden to make this which made it even more delicious. I love the mint and the chickpeas were so hearty that this totally served as our main dish and filled us up.
I was looking for a fast and easy side dish for chicken gyro sandwiches, and this was perfect. Filled with protein and fresh flavors, ti comes together in a snap!
Thanks Sage – it’s such an easy side or main! 🙂
I love this recipe! I am really busy every morning with my kids so I can’t pack my lunch for work but this saved me this morning. An easy and refreshing lunch is a must with busy people like me. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Christine!! It’s a great one for those busy days.
Thanks a great salad I love it and it’s also great with capers!
YUM! I will have to try that! I love capers too!
This was really delicious!
I made it as part of a lunch spread for some girlfriends and everyone said how tasty it was. Yet it was really simple to make.
I feel a bit silly admitting but I didn’t realise you should rinse canned chickpeas before using! So thank you for that top tip.
I’ll definitely be making this again and I have pinned it as well.
Thanks so much for your review Tessa! Yes rinsing helps remove any extra salt or debris on the chickpeas. Glad you (and your girlfriends!) enjoyed it!!