Our Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is your new “anything” salad: caramelized chickpeas tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, briny olives, lemony olive oil dressing, and pistachios for crunch. Serve it warm straight from the pan (cozy!) or at room temp (mezze-friendly). It’s fast, pantry-driven, and deeply Mediterranean.
If you love this Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, you will also love Hearty Lentil Salad, Black-Eyed Beans Salad, or Greek Pasta Salad!
Why you will love Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredient notes
- Chickpeas: Canned are perfect. The recipe is a breeze with precooked chickpeas.
- Olives: Pick the soft, black wrinkly olives at the antipasto bar in the grocery store. Pit the olives yourself, either cut them in half and remove the pit or use a pitter.
- Pistachios: I love a crunch! And the salty-sweet flavor loves lemon. Swap with toasted almonds, pine nuts, or walnuts.
- Lemon juice: It adds bright notes; layer with a bit of zest for aroma.
- Olive oil: Use your good Greek EVOO for finishing.
- Tomatoes: Cherry or grape hold shape under heat. Out of season? The sugar will bring out their sweetness.
Step by step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 170°C /375°F.
Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 2 minutes to build flavor. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, sugar, dried oregano, herbs, olive oil, half of the menon juice, a generous pinch of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili flakes, and cook, stirring for two minutes.
Step 2: Pour everything into a baking pan. Add half a cup of water and mix to combine. Bake in the oven for an hour and 15 minutes.
Step 3: Add the rest of the lemon juice and zest and mix.
Sprinkle the pistachios on top, give it a quick mix, and serve the chickpeas directly from the pan, with tzatziki sauce and lemon wedges.
Pro tips
- Season twice. Spice with the roast, brighten with lemon + sea salt at the end.
- Pistachios last. Fold in most at serving so they keep their crunch; reserve some for garnish.
FAQ
No, but rubbing them in a towel removes loose skin and helps crisp them.
Hold some back and add just before serving.
Absolutely. Use roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes, or keep it all-olive + lemon.
Top with flaked tuna, grilled shrimp, or shredded rotisserie chicken (not vegan). For vegans, add roasted cauliflower or extra chickpeas.
Serving suggestions
- With Greek pita or Village salad flavors.
- Serve next to a saganaki, grilled sardines, chicken souvlaki, or Greek meatballs.
- As part of a mezze board (hummus, melitzanosalata, olives, crusty bread).
- Spoon over tomato rice (ntomatorizo) or alongside baked orzo for a hearty plate.
Make-ahead, storage & reheating
- Make-ahead: Roast chickpeas/tomatoes up to 2 days in advance. Keep pistachios and fresh herbs separate.
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container 3–4 days.
- Re-crisp (warm version): 400°F (205°C) for 8–10 minutes on a dry sheet pan, then toss with pistachios, lemon, and herbs.
- Freezing: Not recommended; chickpeas get mealy after thawing.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (Warm or Room Temperature)
Equipment
- Large sauté pan
- baking pan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves crushed and roughly chopped
- 14 oz cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 lemon juiced ans zested
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1½ tablespoons dried thyme
- ⅓ cup olives pitted
- ¼ cup pistachio nuts deshelled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C /375°F.Add the olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 2 minutes to build flavor. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, sugar, dried oregano, herbs, olive oil, half of the menon juice, a generous pinch of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili flakes, and cook, stirring for two minutes.⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 onion, 14 oz cooked chickpeas, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon chili flakes, 1½ tablespoons dried thyme, ⅓ cup olives, 6 garlic cloves
- Pour everything into a baking pan. Add half a cup of water and mix to combine. Bake in the oven for an hour and 15 minutes.
- Add the rest of the lemon juice and zest and mix. Sprinkle the pistachios on top, give it a quick mix, and serve the chickpeas directly from the pan, with tzatziki sauce and lemon wedges. Tip: The chickpeas taste even better after they sit for a while and can be served at room temperature.1 lemon, ¼ cup pistachio nuts
Notes
- Make-ahead: Roast chickpeas/tomatoes up to 2 days in advance. Keep pistachios and fresh herbs separate.
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container 3–4 days.
- Reheat (warm version): 380°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes in a baking pan, then toss with pistachios, lemon, and herbs.
- Freezing: Not recommended; chickpeas get mealy after thawing.
Nutrition
