Crispy Chickpea Mediterranean Salad

In my opinion, there isn’t a salad as tasty, satisfying, and healthy (talk about a triple threat) as a good ole’ Greek (or Mediterranean) salad. Ever since my trip to Greece a few years ago, I have been obsessed with any Greek salad I can get my hands on. Best of all, a traditional Greek salad does not use traditional salad leaves – say goodbye to wet, wilted salad leaves! It’s all about fresh, local veggies doused in good quality olive oil and vinegar.

Fun fact: the first time I ever ate a salad I liked was when I was about 12 years old at Olive Garden (don’t tell me that Italian dressing isn’t heavenly!) Beyond Olive Garden salads, I used to be a very anti-salad kinda gal. No matter what salads I would try, whether experimenting at home or at a restaurant, they usually tasted bland and left me starving. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. It left me unsatisfied. That all ended when I discovered Mediterranean cuisine.

I’m always changing up the ingredients I put in my mediterranean salad depending on what I have on hand, but this version is definitely my favorite. The crunchiness of the crispy oven-baked chickpeas really adds something special. I like to make this salad and wistfully pretend like I’m back in the Greek islands. I hope this recipe will take your taste buds to your happy place, too.

Crispy Chickpea Mediterranean Salad

Crunchy, fresh and satisfying – this salad will take your tastebuds straight to the Greek islands!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 2 people

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas
• 4 roma tomatoes quartered
• ½ cup cucumbers sliced
• ⅓ cup green bell pepper cut into thin strips
• ½ cup roasted red peppers
• ⅓ cup red onion sliced extra thin
• ⅓ cup olive medley Kalamata or Green Olives
• 1 block feta cheese cut into triangles
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Drain and rinse a 15.5 oz can of chickpeas. Pat dry with paper towels – get out as much moisture as possible to ensure the chickpeas do not steam in the oven! You want them to be super crispy.
3. Toss chickpeas until well coasted with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the chickpeas in an even layer on baking sheet. Roast chickpeas in oven for 25-30 minutes.
4. While chickpeas are roasting, combine all chopped/sliced vegetables in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Toss with remaining olive oil and white balsamic vinegar to taste.
5. Arrange salad in serving bowl as desired. Top with handfuls of crispy roasted chickpeas and arrange feta triangles. Drizzle with additional olive oil and oregano. Enjoy immediately!