Easy Chickpea Salad

Published May 23, 2025

Easy Chickpea Salad
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(275)
Comments
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A bright zesty salad with crisp cucumbers and tender chickpeas inspired by the Levant, where chickpeas have been cultivated for millennia. Ready in a flash, this salad combines lemon and fresh aromatic herbs with a crunch and flavor that improves over time in the refrigerator, making it a great salad to bring to a picnic or potluck. Serve with warm pita bread, or spoon over rice. Instead of discarding the chickpea liquid (aquafaba), try making homemade vegan mayonnaise or even meringues. Leftovers keep beautifully for up to a week, and try this: mix in a touch of that homemade mayo for a delicious chickpea salad sandwich the next day.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings, about 5½ cups
  • 3tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1tablespoon white vinegar
  • 1teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1garlic clove, grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½English cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
  • ½red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1medium tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
  • ¼cup chopped parsley
  • ¼cup chopped dill
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Za’atar to taste, plus warm pita or rice for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

311 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 634 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the chickpeas, cucumber, onion, tomato, parsley and dill to the bowl; toss together until evenly coated, then drizzle the oil evenly over everything and toss again.

  2. Step 2

    Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Serve immediately, sprinkled with za’atar to taste, alongside warm pita bread or over rice if desired. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Ratings

5 out of 5
275 user ratings
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Comments

This is indeed very easy and splendid! I added the red onion first so that it would soften up in the lemon juice some. I ended up using all dill, as my parsley had gone bad, and I would’ve appreciated some parsley. I would add more tomato next time, or perhaps chop up a whole tomato, as opposed to quartering grape tomatoes, so that there was more juice to mingle with the dressing. But if you’re worried about too much acid, grape tomatoes are the way to go. Served over lettuce alongside slabs of sheep’s mill feta,cornichons, olives, and my local bakery’s Za’taar focaccia. Divine!

I make a derivative of this all the time, but mine is even easier! I only use vinegars (apple cider and/or red wine usually), skip the herbs (salt & pepper), and may use persian cucumbers and halved/quartered cherry/grape tomatoes. My version almost always contains feta (Bulgarian variety preferred) and maybe olives.

@Melissa - did you skip the red onion also?

This is one of my favorite chickpea salad recipes from NYT Cooking. It has become my 'go to' side dish for summer entertaining.

It hit different, ngl.

Very meh. A little more interesting after sitting in the fridge overnight, but still nothing special. It needs something, I just don't know what. It's bland and even with the zatar, falls flat.

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