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September 16, 2025
Greek Marinated Chickpea Salad Recipe
Right here’s a trick to make a severely scrumptious Chickpea Salad utilizing a can of chickpeas: MARINATE them within the dressing! They soak up flavour, and switch bland into excessive tastiness in simply 20 minutes.
This chickpea salad tastes as vibrant because it seems, and works as a foremost course with crusty bread, or as a aspect for roasts, fish, prawns or easy pan seared garlic chicken thighs.
Chickpea Salad
I do know it’s tempting to simply seize a can of chickpeas, add inexperienced fluffage, toss with dressing and name it a day. And that has occurred many a occasions round right here, being a useful and considerably virtuous fast meal possibility.
However I by no means deemed any of these “ok” to share right here. I simply really feel like you should do one thing to chickpeas to make them tastier – as a result of dressing merely doesn’t persist with chickpeas.
On this Center Japanese chickpea salad, they’re spiced and pan fried.
And in right this moment’s, we’re marinating the chickpeas. Toss in dressing > heat in microwave > 20 minute marinade > chickpeas soak up flavour = tastier chickpeas. YES!
Warming the chickpeas briefly within the microwave makes them soak up the flavour of the dressing a lot extra successfully!
I’m calling it a Greek Marinated Chickpea Salad solely as a result of the dressing / marinade is predicated on Greek Salad. For no different purpose. I don’t maintain this out to be authentically Greek! We’re simply borrowing the oregano infused dressing from Greek Salad!
What you want
Right here’s what you want for this chickpea salad:
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Chickpeas – I’m simply utilizing canned right here for comfort, however I’ve popped instructions for cooking dried chickpeas within the recipe notes;
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Spinach – or something comparable that may be sliced thinly so it type of melds in nicely with the chickpeas;
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Tomatoes – for pops of juicy freshness. Cherry or grape tomatoes, or massive ones chopped into small items;
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Crimson onion – I love to do a easy fast pickle in vinegar, sugar and salt to make them floppy, vibrant pink, and add flavour. It takes simply half-hour on the counter – or you may take the speedy possibility and microwave it for two minutes (which makes them immediately “pickled”) then simply cool them;
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Feta – you’ll sometimes discover some type of “deal with” in my foremost course salads – whether or not it’s nuts, croutons, bacon, parmesan. At this time, it’s feta – on theme!
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Dressing – crimson wine vinegar (a great deal of options within the recipe), further virgin olive oil, garlic and oregano (the Greek affect), and mustard (for thickening – we want it, to stay to the chickpeas higher).
Find out how to make this Chickpea Salad
I believe this recipe sounds extra concerned than it truly is – and you may completely discuss it as much as your folks. “We’re having a marinated chickpea salad with wilted spinach and pickled crimson onion with an oregano infused Greek dressing”, you’ll loftily inform them.
However in actuality, it’s truly a really low effort dish!
This salad additionally plates up fairly properly – quite than utilizing a bowl like most salads, use a flat plate and pile it up excessive!
What to serve with chickpea salad
That is a type of salads that works as a foremost course or as a aspect dish.
As a foremost course, it’s an excellent dinner for warm summer time nights, or lunch all yr spherical. I prefer to serve it with crusty bread on the aspect, or with flatbreads that you could tear and use to scoop up the chickpeas.
It additionally travels extraordinarily nicely, being a type of uncommon salads that retains nicely for a couple of days. Suppose – work lunches, taking to picnics with buddies.
As a aspect dish, except for Asian dishes and Indian meals, I can’t consider many issues I wouldn’t serve it with. Fabulous alongside a roast chicken, lamb or roast pork. Garlic prawns, pan seared fish, a easy baked chicken breast, sticky honey garlic chicken, pork chops or steak.
It’s a pure match alongside something Mediterranean, Italian or Center Japanese, and the flavours are on theme with Mexican meals.
Have I satisfied you but that it’s mainly an excellent all rounder and that you have to attempt it instantly??! 😉 – Johnsat x
Watch how you can make it
Ingredients
- 800g/ 14oz (2 cans) chickpeas, well drained (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar (Note 2)
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced using garlic press
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard (or other non spicy smooth mustard)
- 3/4 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 1/2 red onion , finely sliced
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (Note 2)
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 250g/ 8oz cherry or grape tomatoes , halved (or 2 normal tomatoes)
- 3 cups (packed) spinach, sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5" thick (Note 4)
- 100g/ 3oz feta
- 3/4 cup chargrilled peppers , drained and sliced 1cm / 1/3″ thick (optional, Note 5)
Instructions
- Shake Dressing in a jar.
- Place chickpeas in a microwaveable bowl. Toss with half the Dressing.
- Microwave 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until warmed through.
- Set aside 20 minutes to marinate (warm chickpeas = absorbs flavour).
- Mix ingredients in a bowl, set aside 30 minutes until onion is wilted. Drain.
- Speedy option: microwave for 2 minutes until hot, cool 10 minutes then use.
- Place spinach in a big bowl, add marinated chickpeas (including all residual Dressing in the bowl). Add tomatoes, pickled onion and peppers, if using.
- Pour over remaining Dressing, toss well. Transfer to serving plate, crumble over feta, serve!
Notes
No microwave? Just warm the chickpeas in a small saucepan over medium heat.
1. DRIED CHICKPEAS – 1 cup dried chickpeas (200g / 6.5 oz) – once cooked it will be around the amount of chickpeas in 2 x 400g/14 oz can. Cook using stove or pressure cooker:
STOVE: soak overnight in lots of water. Pick out anything that doesn’t look like chickpeas that floats to the surface. Place in a saucepan and cover with 10cm/4” of water. Simmer on medium for 40 – 50 minutes until they are cooked through to your taste (start checking at 30 min, cook times can vary wildly depending on chickpea age). Skim off any skin that floats to the surface. Drain, proceed with recipe.
PRESSURE COOKER: No soaking required, cover with 10cm/4” of water and cook 45 minutes on high.
2. Other vinegars: lemon juice, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, sherry or champagne vinegar. Normal white vinegar can also be used but add 1 tbsp extra olive oil.
3. Pickling is optional, I like it because it adds extra flavour, it flops nicely, it’s cinch to do and I love the colour. You could just use the unpickled onion, or even just a handful of finely sliced green onion.
4. Spinach – any similar leafy greens that can be sliced will work a treat here, like baby spinach, silverbeet, kale. Cabbage also works – but toss with a bit of dressing and let it wilt for 20 min before using (otherwise it’s a bit pokey and stiff!)
5. Chargrilled peppers – used in photos and it adds an extra element of deliciousness. Ran out for video! Delicious without.
6. STORAGE: Keeps great for 3 days in the fridge – great work lunch option. Also, it’s actually nice when the spinach wilts a bit so unlike most salads, it gets better the longer it’s sitting out, making it an ideal salad for buffets and long leisurely lunches with friends!
7. Nutrition per serving as a side dish (8 servings).
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