Healthy & Delicious: Greek-Style Chickpea Salad Recipe

By
Kristen Swensson Sturt
Kristen Swensson Sturt
Kristen Swensson Sturt is a freelance writer focused on health, wellness, and lifestyle.  Her healthy and delicious recipes are featured in Serious Eats.  
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Updated Aug. 09, 2018
A red square bowl filled with Greek-style chickpea salad.

"Too often, grain and bean salads are over-dressed."

Mayo-Less Salad Series

A chickpea-based concoction, this Greek-Style Chickpea Salad from Cook’s Illustrated Best Light Recipe relies on cucumber for freshness, onion for zest, and a smattering of feta cheese for tang (or, as some are wont to call it, “feta-ey-ness”). Everything balances perfectly with the dressing. Too often, grain and bean salads are over-dressed, leaving the contents to stew in a pool of flavored grease. It’s not good for healthy eating or the texture of the food.

This dish bucks that trend by using just the right ratio of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olives, and olive oil. It clings lightly to the chickpeas instead of drenching them. And whether you’re concerned about weight or leaky Tupperware at your Labor Day picnic, this is undoubtedly a good thing.

Oh, and it’s delicious, too, as Cook’s Illustrated recipes tend to be. The Best Light Recipe tome is quickly becoming an all-star of my cookbook collection, joining the ranks of their Best 30-Minute Recipe book and Christopher Kimball's The Cook's Bible. All are highly suggested reading.

Enjoy the end of your mayo-less summers. See you in the mayo-less autumn.

Recipe Details

Healthy & Delicious: Greek-Style Chickpea Salad Recipe

Prep 15 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1/2 small red onion, minced

  • 3/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1/2 large cucumber)

  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, minced

  • 1 ounce reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

  • 2 tablespoons kalamata olives, pitted and minced

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, toss chickpeas, onion, cucumber, mint, feta and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, olives, mustard, oil, and garlic together. Pour dressing on top of the chickpea mixture and stir gently until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and feel free to add slightly more cheese, lemon juice, oil, salt, or pepper right before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
427 Calories
11g Fat
64g Carbs
22g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 427
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 3mg 1%
Sodium 1348mg 59%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 17g 62%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 11mg 53%
Calcium 167mg 13%
Iron 7mg 39%
Potassium 736mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)