Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)

Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)

An easy, vegan chickpea salad flavoured with lots of fresh herbs

If you have been following Mia Kouppa for a while, or even for a little bit of time (Welcome!), you may have realized a few things.  Feta should always be Greek (as should olive oil), fresh bread usually goes beautifully with just about any meal, and if you have a well stocked Greek pantry, you can make thousands of recipes (this is only a slight exaggeration) .  You may have also noticed that we are firm believers that beans should never come from a can.  But never is a really big word.

Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)
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The truth is, salads like this one are perfect accompaniments to quick grilled meals. With summer here, the living is easy (or at least, easier).  Pre-planning a salad, soaking beans and then boiling them for over an hour, to have something delicious to eat with your grilled rack of lamb, seems a little counter-intuitive.  And so, we have bended the rules a bit here; we’ve stepped off our high horse, and admit that when we make this salad, we usually pull out the can opener.  We’re not ashamed!  We have nothing to feel embarrassed about!  But if you wouldn’t mind, please don’t tell our parents.

Helpful hints
Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are legumes which are nutritional powerhouses; high in protein, folate, iron and fiber, they are a filling and inexpensive way to pack in the good stuff.  Although we like to cook with dried beans whenever possible (and encourage you to do the same, but won’t judge you if you don’t), you can certainly substitute canned chickpeas in a pinch.  We have included directions for both dry and canned chickpeas in the recipe below.

If you use canned chickpeas, rinse your chickpeas well.  This will help remove some of the excess salt.  Recently, you may have noticed, that the internet has gone crazy with some weird thing called aquafaba, which is the gooey, thickish liquid that canned chickpeas find themselves in.  Apparently, if you beat this liquid for a while with a mixer, you will make a vegan whipped cream…or something.  One day we may experiment with this (probably not), so if this is something you would like to try, keep the liquid from the can and let us know how it turns out!

The feta (Greek of course) in this salad elevates if from great to incredibly great; feta does that.  However, if you are looking for a vegan recipe, simply omit the feta and you are good to go!

Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)
Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)
Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)

We find it nice to chop up the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber into almost the same small bite-sized pieces, although this is not essential…but it does make for a prettier salad. Just look at how pretty this salad is!

We include chopped Kalamata olives in this salad.  Usually we can only find these with pits in them, but thankfully the pits are very easy to remove.  With the flat side of the blade of a chef’s knife, press down on the olive. This will cause the slit which is already there to open up a little bit more.  With a bit of prying, you should be able to remove the pit quite simply.  Keep in mind that these olives are going to be chopped, and so you don’t need to be concerned about keeping them whole and pretty.

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Chickpea salad (Σαλάτα με ρεβίθια)

Chickpea salad

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Greek
Soaking time, if you using dry chickpeas: 12 hours
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Mia Kouppa

Ingredients

  • 1 ⅓ cup dried chickpeas OR
  • 2 X 540 ML can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
  • 3/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber
  • 1/2 cup diced green pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional, but highly recommended)

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  • If using dried chickpeas, rinse the chickpeas, and sort through them, removing any stones you may find.
    1 ⅓ cup dried chickpeas OR
  • Soak your chickpeas in a large bowl of water for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
  • After your chickpeas have soaked, rinse them well and set aside.
  • Place 8 cups of water in a large pot and bring the water to a boil. Add your chickpeas, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 75 – 90 minutes. Check your post regularly and add more water if required.
  • When your chickpeas are done, meaning that they are soft to the bite but not mushy, drain them and allow them to cool.
  • If you are using canned chickpeas, open the cans, rinse the beans, and proceed to the next step.
    2 X 540 ML can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • In a large serving bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients, except for the feta.
    2 medium tomatoes, cubed, 3/4 cup peeled and diced cucumber, 1/2 cup diced green pepper, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives, 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar, or bowl and mix well to combine.
    1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to coat.
  • Cover the salad and allow it to rest at room temperature for an hour. When you are ready to serve, add the feta to the salad.
    1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • Mix your salad well and serve.
  • This salad is best served and eaten the day you prepared it.
  • Refrigerate any leftover salad.
  • Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing!

16 Comments

  1. Wonderful salad ! Looks so refreshing.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you so much! It is quite refreshing…but the best part is how easy it is 🙂 Have a great day!

  2. a little Swiss, a little Canadian says:

    Such a pretty and delicious salad! I love chickpea salad and make it regularly, I will definitely try this!😍😋

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thanks so much Ursula! Chickpeas are great aren’t they?! And so versatile. We would love to hear how you enjoy this salad. It’s one of our favourites 🙂 Have a wonderful day!

  3. PlantsandBeyond says:

    Oooooh. Looks goooood

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thank you kindly! 🙂 It is a great side, or a perfect light lunch or supper. We often double the batch so that we are sure to have leftovers 🙂

      1. PlantsandBeyond says:

        Good idea on doubling 🥗

  4. Francesca says:

    Great looking chick pea salad. I agree about canned versus cooked chick peas, and for those in a hurry, pressure cooked chick peas, from hard to cooked, only take 35 minutes so if you have a pressure cooker, give it a go. Looking forward to summer here.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Francesca! Yes, a pressure cooker is a great way to use dry beans in a hurry. That’s a great suggestion 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the summer weather! 🙂 🙂 🙂

  5. Marisa's Italian Kitchen says:

    I love salads such as this one but must admit I usually go for the canned chickpeas🙀 it looks so so good😋

    1. miakouppa says:

      Beans and chickpeas are so good, and so good for us, that canned beans are better than no beans. We are learning this too 🙂 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Marisa! Have a great day!

  6. Nicole Anne says:

    Hello Mia kouppa.
    About Aquafaba; the best way to use this liquid is to make a vegan meringue with it. Quite sweet but yummy! I personnally use it on top of cupcakes or fruit salad, I than burn it with a torch. Taste like fire roasted mashmallows, you should really try it!
    I also use the aquafaba to replace eggs in a emulsified vinaigrette such as Ceasar salad vinaigrette, very good result also and usefull for those who are allergic to eggs.

    1. miakouppa says:

      This all sounds amazing Nicole Anne. We will definitely be trying and experimenting with aquafaba soon. Stay tuned 🙂 🙂

  7. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
    The dressing is light but perfect, this way you taste all the ingredients of the salad better.
    For my husband I made some chicken with Greek herbs, but next time I will put some Fava on wraps and fill them with this salad, a perfect meal for summer days 😀
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLvxA2MPYV/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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