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As Spring starts with her warm days hinting at the summer to come, my thoughts turn to this fresh Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for a quick lunch or side dish. And I continue making it throughout the summer! It's so lovely.
You don't have to use dried chickpeas for Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, but I hope you try it at least once. The flavor and texture are superior to canned ones, in my ever-so-humble opinion! However, if soaking and cooking dried beans isn't your jam, the canned ones won't ruin your salad!
3 ways to cook dried chickpeas
If using dried chickpeas, put ⅓ cup in a bowl, add at least 2 inches of water, and soak covered overnight. The next morning, drain, rinse, and place in a pan, cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 20 minutes for a firm texture, and 35 for a softer one. This method is my preferred one when I'm cooking such a small amount.
A stovetop pressure cooker (or a digital pressure cooker, like an InstantPot) can also be used. If I'm cooking enough chickpeas for a few different recipes, I'll probably opt for the pressure cooker. In my InstantPot, I cover one cup of soaked chickpeas with 4 cups of water, use manual, high pressure for 12-20 minutes depending on how soft I want them to be. Cook unsoaked chickpeas 35-40 minutes.
You can also cook the chickpeas in a slow cooker covered with water on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. This is my least favorite way to cook them, but if you love it, then rock it out!
No matter the cooking method, let them cool to room temperature before assembling the salad.
How to make Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
All that's left to do after deciding whether to cook dried beans or open a can is to combine all the ingredients for the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad … tomato, cucumber, red onion, lemon zest and juice, oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley … you guys, this is the thing you dream of eating on a picnic in sunny Greece! But you can have in your own home even you live in drizzly Seattle!
Other recipes you might like:
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!
Recipe
Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup dried chickpeas or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tomato chopped small
- 1 cup cucumber chopped small
- ¼ cup red onion chopped small
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1½ Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- zest of one lemon
- ½ lemon juiced
- ¼ cup parsley chopped small
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using dried chickpeas, put ⅓ cup in a bowl, add at least 2 inches of water, and soak covered overnight. The next morning, drain, rinse, and place in a pan, cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 20 minutes for a firm texture, and 35 for a softer one. This method is my preferred when I'm cooking such a small amount.A stovetop pressure cooker (or a digital pressure cooker, like an InstantPot) can also be used. If I'm cooking enough chickpeas for a few different recipes (this one, hummus, Moroccan Chicken Stew …) I'll probably opt for the pressure cooker. In my InstantPot, I use a ratio of 1 cup of soaked chickpeas to 4 cups of water, use manual, high pressure for 12-20 minutes depending on how soft I want them to be. Cook unsoaked chickpeas 35-40 minutes. You can also cook the chickpeas in a slow cooker covered with water on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. This is my least favorite way to cook them.
No matter the cooking method, let them cool to room temperature before assembling the salad. - Combine all the other ingredients with the chickpeas, stir to combine, and it's ready! So simple, right? Adjust the seasonings to your tastes, et voila!
- Bon Appétit!
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