This is the best Chickpea Salad I’ve ever had in my life.
Yotam Ottolenghi – I salute you.
Chickpea Salad
I first published this about a month after I started this website back in 2014. The fact that I, a self confessed Carb/Carnivore/Cheese Monster, published a vegan salad so early on (patience having never been my greatest virtue) and have taken it upon myself to reshoot the recipe, rewrite the post and make a recipe video for a chickpea salad should speak volumes.
It’s that good.
Make this for someone who is not a fan of chickpeas and I bet even they love it. First hand feedback from a Chickpea Hater. Well, Hater is a harsh word. Let’s say this person is meh when it comes to chickpeas. But her reaction to this Chickpea Salad was nothing short of enthusiastic!
The thing that makes this chickpea salad so amazing is the simple Spiced Chickpeas
I am near obsessed with this salad. I make it a LOT because I find it’s truly one of those salads I find satisfying to have as a meal. And unlike most meat-free salads, I don’t have to fight the urge to raid the pantry an hour later (thank you Mr Chickpeas, for keeping me nice and full!).
Those chickpeas. Honestly. You think chickpeas are blah? Toss them in a simple spice mix and pan fry for a couple of minutes.
OMG. What a transformation!!
Dressing for chickpea salad
The dressing is simple but a cut above your usual vinaigrette. Classic Yotam Ottolenghi – bright and zesty with lemon flavours but not too sharp because it’s combined with sherry vinegar and a touch of sugar.
It’s one of my favourite vinaigrettes!
I take no credit for these chickpeas. Or this entire Chickpea Salad, actually. It’s adapted from a recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook which I am so obsessed with, I am seriously contemplating doing a “Julie & Julia” on it.
Yotam Ottolenghi changed the way I cook. Making vegetables interesting, and salads sexy. Sorry if that word offends anyone in the context of food, but I swear I can’t think of a more suitable word in my limited vocabulary!
This is one such salad. 🙂 – Nagi x
Make a meal of it – try this with a side of:
-
Easy Soft Flatbread Recipe (No Yeast) with Hummus (try this traditional Hummus with Lamb!)
-
Crispy Couscous Pancake with Tomato & Onion (another Yotam Ottolenghi recipe)
-
Add a main – Chicken Shawarma or Lamb Shawarma, Lamb Koftas or Moroccan Meatballs
PPS Try serving it up with a dollop of yoghurt and pita bread. The Chickpea Salad is terrific for stuffing into pita bread!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHICKPEA SALAD
I usually serve this Chickpea Salad on its own as meal with a dollop of yoghurt and pita bread. Try it with my easy homemade flatbread!
As a side, this Chickpea Salad will pair beautifully with a simple protein (because the chickpeas have lots of flavour, you wouldn’t want the main with big punchy flavours) like Crispy Pan Fried Fish or this Lemon Pepper Chicken.
If you want to create a Middle Eastern Menu, try your hand at an Arabian Feast! Or have a browse of all my Middle Eastern recipes – it’s one of my favourite cuisines, I love the punchy flavours. I make this salad without the chickpeas as a side for full flavoured mains, such as Chicken Shawarma, Lamb Shawarma and Koftas.
MIDDLE EASTERN RECIPE COLLECTION
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Middle Eastern Spiced Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
Chickpeas
- 400g / 14 oz can chickpeas, drained but still wet (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Chickpea Spices
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp All Spice
- 1 tsp ground cardamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Salad
- 2 cucumbers , diced
- 2 tomatoes (or 3 medium tomatoes), diced
- 1 red onion (small) , diced
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves , roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley , roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar (Note 2)
- Zest of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 garlic clove, smashed (Note 3)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine the Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
- Place chickpeas in a large bowl. Scatter over Spices, then toss to coat. The wetness of the chickpeas will make the spices stick.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over high heat and fry the chickpeas for a couple of minutes. Shake the pan so the chickpeas roll, or stir gently (so the spice coating doesn't come off). Transfer into bowl and cool slightly.
- Combine the Salad Ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of Dressing and toss. Transfer to serving bowl.
- Top salad with chickpeas (warm or at room temperature). Drizzle with more Dressing. Toss very gently, if desired (don't toss too much otherwise spice comes off chickpeas). Serve immediately.
- Great served with a dollop of yoghurt and pita bread to stuff the salad into.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Computer, coffee and Dozer eyeing off the Vegemite toast. Just another morning of work.
Soooo good. Made exactly as per recipe and everyone loved it. I reckon the fried chickpeas by themselves would be a delicious snack.
The cheakpeas giventhis salad a really uniq flavor. So delicious and easy to make. I just love your recipes.
Made this salad a couple of days ago, but had skipped chopping the cilantro and parsley. Decided to try again, doing the chopping. Doubled the seasoning spices on beans (We love Cumin – used 1 TBS). We love it! Delicious! Then husband mentioned I’d used PINTO beans, not Garbanzo beans!. Plan to try again in a couple weeks WITH GARBANZOS..
My Review:
Such a quick and easy, and very tasty recipe. I absolutely love it. The roasted chick peas and spices are so lovely, and the salad is so refreshing. I love the tangy dressing too. Being a vegetarian I am always interested in new and different vegetarian meals and recipes, and this one is absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much to RecipeTin Eats for such a tasty recipe, and thank you so much to my wonderful support worker Bernadette for preparing and cooking such a lovely lunch for me 😻💕
To make the salad a little more filling for lunch one day, I added some cooked and cooled pasta. It was delicious!
Can I save recipes in my Tin? If so how would I do it. Thank You
Click on the ‘love heart’ you’ll find somewhere on the screen when viewing a recipe. Mine is in the bottom right corner.
Such a great salad. I used red wine vinegar and cut the red onion by half (my kids aren’t a fan). I found some beautiful greenhouse cherry tomatoes and opted to use Lebanese cucumbers. I really loved the dressing and the spiced chick peas – will make this again for sure.
I hope the cookbook is coming along nicely Nagi!
Holly xx
love following your recipes
Thanks! N x
So easy, filling and delicious!
I added some baby rocket leaves as well. Family loved it!
Thank you for this recipe.
Made this with a few tweets. Added feta and kalamata olives to finished salad. And added 1/2 tsp of ground oregano to dressing. Yummy.
Hi there, I was wondering whether it is best to purchase green or brown cardamom for this recipe? Thank you!
Love this salad! I make it at least twice a week!
If using canned chickpeas, do you remove the skins?
Hi Nagi! I don’t have sherry vinegar…. I have normal white vinegar, red wine vinegar and white wine vinegar. Can I use one of these for the dressing? Which one would you recommend, or is it absolutely necessary for me to buy that sherry vinegar to get the proper taste on the dressing? Thanks for your guidance!
Hi !
I love this recipe. Seriously yummo ! I’m interested to know if it would be OK to cook and store the chickpeas a day or two before you need them?
Cheers, Michelle
Yes 100% Michelle! N x
Good recipe with great flavour. Easy to make. LOVE the lemon dressing! Made it as is except didn’t have coriander leaves,
Made many of your recipes Nagi and you never fail to impress me. You are a legend. Many thanks
Hi Nagi,
I have been using this recipe (as well as your chicken shawarma) for years!
I add some cayenne to the chickpeas to spice it up[ and I triple the parsley and omit the cilantro.
I’ve been to this site so many times to double check the recipe I figured it was time to leave a comment to tell you how much I appreciate you!
You forgot to list the other author of the book,Sami Tamimi. This cookbook is meant to represent a bridge between the Palestinian and Israeli communities, a statement that many issue can be fixed at a table talking things out over a meal hence one author is of Israeli descent and the other Palestinian. I think that’s an important message and this cookbook and every recipe within it.
Made this last night, and it was a hit! Added feta cheese & kalamata olives. So easy and super yummy, thank you for this recipe.
You’re so welcome Anita! N x