Italian Chickpea Salad is a simple vegetarian salad recipe that's full of fresh and healthy ingredients. Perfect for snacks and lunches!
We’ve hit the perfect portion of summer where the days aren’t too hot, the nights are deliciously long, and picnics, BBQs, and potlucks are on tap nearly every single weekend. Today I’m sharing a recipe that would be perfect to bring along – Italian Chickpea Salad!
Don’t get me wrong, this easy, vegetarian salad recipe will be a hit no matter what time of year you make it, but the combination of fresh vegetables and herbs make it especially summer-friendly. Best of all, this chickpea salad recipe takes about 10 minutes to assemble and can be made ahead of time, too!
Simply combine canned chickpeas with chopped tomatoes, green pepper, red onion, capers, a TON of chopped fresh basil, and homemade or store-bought Italian dressing then toss to combine. This is the BEST little salad recipe! It’s all about the capers and fresh basil. I promise people will be asking you for the recipe and please – take ALL the credit.
Italian Chickpea Salad also makes an excellent base for mason jar salads. Spoon into the bottom of 5 or 6 mason jars along with a little extra dressing then top with mixed greens – boom, healthy lunches, all week long!
Let me know if you give it a try?
How to Make This Recipe
Like I said, this salad couldn’t be simpler. To a large bowl add a 15oz can chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed, chopped green pepper, chopped roma tomatoes, minced red onion, drained capers, and chopped fresh basil.
Next, shake up an Italian dressing to toss the salad with. You can use your favorite store-bought dressing, but I’m partial to my Best-Ever Italian Vinaigrette. The combination of apple cider and white wine vinegar, dijon mustard and honey, plus herbs and spices like dried marjoram and oregano, goes with just about everything. It’s got just the right amount of tang.
Drizzle your desired amount of dressing over the top – I typically use ~1/3 cup – then season to taste with salt and dried oregano. Toss to combine then stash in the fridge until it’s time to eat! If you want to prep this salad ahead of time, leave the tomatoes and basil out of the mix then add right before serving. I hope you love this healthy, filling salad recipe – enjoy!
More Healthy Lunch Recipes
- Chicken Caesar Pesto Panini
- Italian Quinoa Salad
- Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Berry Quinoa Chicken Salad
- Jennifer Aniston Salad
- Chickpea Chicken Salad
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Napa Sweet Corn Salad
- BLT Egg Salad Jars
Ingredients
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons drained capers
- 1/3 — 1/2 cup gluten-free Italian dressing, see notes
- salt
- pinch dried oregano
Directions
- Add chickpeas through Italian dressing to a large bowl then season to taste with salt and dried oregano. Toss to combine then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To make ahead: combine all ingredients except tomatoes and basil in a large bowl and refrigerate. Add tomatoes and basil before serving.
Notes
- I love my Best-Ever Italian Vinaigrette for this salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Hello! Where can I find capers? Also, what do they taste like? Haha. I have never tried them!
I love your recipes. I am trying to copy the rib recipe and others and they cannot go thru. I have copied in the pass, but today no go.
Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was amazing! My family inhaled it for a side to burgers and brats. My daughter and I ate the tiny bit of leftovers for lunch the next day. Will make it again and again!
Thank’s for the tasty salad idea!
Add some fresh strawberries,voilá
Ahh! Now I know what I can use italian dressing for. Always saw it in the supermarket but had no idea what it could be used for. Thank you so much for the simple recipe.
The Italian Chickpea Salad was a hit. I added a can of black beans for variety. It disappeared.
The name and picture made me try it right away and it is GREAT! Even my husband who doesn’t like ‘salads’ loved it and mentioned it several times while still eating dinner. Taking this to take to a 4th of July weekend at a friend’s cabin and will add tomatoes and basil last minute. Thanks!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Definitely bringing this to the next food day at work!
OMG! Can you say SUMMER! This salad is everything! Trying this recipe this week. Thanks
YUMMY I am going to make the chick pea salad asap!
Hope you love it, Sandra!
I’ve got a church picnic coming up next week and I’m in the “SALAD” section of the alphabet! This is perfect! Many thanks!
Yes – totally perfect! I hope it’s a hit! :)
Kristin, don’t suppose Ben would be willing to share how he smoked his meatloaf? Is it done in a loaf pan???
Love your blog & site!
You got it! So, no recipe :( but he combined 1lb each ground beef and Italan sausage with minced celery, onions, garlic, an egg, bread crumbs, almond milk and a few herbs and spices then packed it in a loaf pan and refrigerated overnight. The next day he overturned it onto a wire cooling rack and smoked it until the internal temp reached 160. Let me know if you give it a try – it was so good with mashed potatoes and sweet corn!
Thank goodness it cooled off on Sunday! It is literally a breath of fresh air, I couldn’t turn the AC off fast enough.
This looks delicious and I was thinking “I bet this would be awesome with tortilla chips or Fritos” and then read the rest of your paragraph. Haha!
I’ll definitely be making it for our next neighbors night or maybe even for our next camping trip.
ooo yes, Fritos would be delicious with this! Hope you love it, Jennifer! :)