I first had this salad at my Greek friend’s place, and I haven’t stopped making it since. She doesn’t usually cook with a lot of chickpeas, but this Greek chickpea salad was the exception — and one bite told me why. Everything is cut fine, so every forkful gets a little bit of cucumber, tomato, capsicum and olive all at once.
It’s a different approach to my Greek Salad from Rhodes, my authentic version learned straight from a taverna owner on the island, where everything is cut chunky and rustic with a whole block of feta sitting in the centre. This one is the opposite — fine, neat, and tossed through with chickpeas for something heartier. What’s more, the dressing couldn’t be simpler. Just olive oil, fresh lemon juice and salt — no long list of extras needed when the vegetables are this fresh.
That said, it’s become one of those recipes I reach for constantly — for a barbecue, a mezze spread, or just a bowl of it on its own for lunch. If you love a chickpea-loaded salad, my Avocado Coriander Pesto Salad is another one worth trying, with its zesty coriander dressing and creamy avocado running through it. Best of all, this one takes barely any time to put together, and it only gets better the longer the flavours sit before you dress it.
Step 1. Prepare the Vegetables
Finely dice the cucumber, tomato and capsicum, then place them in a large bowl with the spring onion, parsley, chickpeas and black olives.
Step 2. Toss and Dress
Add the crumbled feta to the bowl, then pour over the lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt, and toss everything together to combine.
A Few Things You'll Want to Know
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes — toss the vegetables, chickpeas, olives and herbs together and keep them in the fridge. Just hold off on the feta and the dressing until you're ready to serve, then add both at the end so everything stays fresh and doesn't go soggy.
Do I have to cut the vegetables so small?
That's really what makes this salad — the fine dice means every bite has a bit of everything. If you cut it chunkier, it'll still taste great, just less like the original.
Can I swap the black olives for green?
Of course. Green olives will work just as well — use whichever you prefer.
Is this gluten free?
Yes, every ingredient here is naturally gluten free.
Soft red velvet squares topped with cream cheese and mascarpone icing — simple to make, and always a hit.
One I found tucked away from my early blogging days — golden eggplant, warm chickpea salsa and cool minty yoghurt. So easy!
