Anytime I buy English cucumber, my first plan is to make this fresh Chickpeas salad. We love chickpeas in our house and often use them in Indian cuisine. I make an Indian salad almost chat kind called the Chana chat which is one of our favorite evening snacks. This Mediterranean chickpea salad is pretty similar to the Chana chat, except this has more vegetables in it. We traveled to Dubai a couple of years back and I picked several different spices from the local Soukh (market). One among them was an Arabic spice blend that was so flavorful. I have yet to figure out exactly what kind of spices the blend has, but it resembles the Za’atar blend and has a few more added ingredients. Talking about Za’atar, I first bought it from a local store and have been using it to make Za’atar flatbread which is so easy to make. What is Za’atar? Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that is made with a blend of sumac, thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and salt. I used that Arabic spice blend in this easy chickpea salad and it was so flavorful. I would highly recommend using the Za’atar but it is not a must ingredient. The salad dressing is flavorful as is and does great in the salad. The Chickpea salad can be served as a salad or can be served alongside some earthy bread like this Vegan Aish Baladi flatbread to make it as a wrap.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes. Chickpeas - Also known as Garbanzo beans or Chana in Hindi, this is the base of this Mediterranean salad. You could use canned chickpeas or use dry ones after cooking them. Check this post on how to cook beans in an Instant Pot to cook your dry beans. I have explained in detail how to use either of them in the recipe. Vegetables - I love using English cucumber for this recipe. You could also use the regular cucumber if that is what you have in hand. Apart from this, I have used cherry tomatoes, red onion, and finely chopped parsley. Olives - Olives are one of our favorites, be it in a pizza or bread, like the Vegan Moroccan Olive Bread. I used the Kalamata olives today in the salad recipe, but experiment with what flavors you like the best and use them. Dressing - I dress the Mediterranean chickpea salad with a basic vinaigrette. I use red wine vinegar for its unique flavor. Apart from the regular, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, the dressing has a little bit of mustard powder. Again, it is optional and can be skipped if you don’t have mustard powder.
Step-by-step process
Start with chopping the vegetables and placing them in a large mixing bowl. I chop the vegetables and start layering them in a bowl as I go.
If using canned chickpeas, drain the chickpeas and rinse it well under running water. I use canned chickpeas if I am making it without prior planning (which is most of the time). It works great and is definitely a time saver.
If using fresh chickpeas, soak the beans overnight and then cook them with salt until they are tender and soft, but not mushy. I use my Instant Pot to cook the chickpeas. Soak them overnight and then change the soaking water and add fresh water along with a teaspoon of salt. Now set the Instant Pot in pressure cook mode on high and cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release after 10 minutes and drain the chickpeas and use it in the recipe.
Add the drained/cooked chickpeas to the mixing bowl along with the rest of the vegetables.
Add the Arabic spice or the za’atar spice to the bowl and give it a good toss.
In a small bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned under the dressing and mix it well using a whisk.
Add the prepared dressing to the chickpeas/vegetable bowl and mix it well to coat. Cover the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Expert tips
When cooking chickpeas make sure to add some salt. This way the chickpeas soak the salt when cooking and do not taste bland. If Za’atar spice is not available, add any spice blend of your choice. I have even used an Italian spice blend and it works great as well. To give it an Indian twist, we could add chat masala or cumin powder. When soaking and cooking fresh chickpeas, make extra and freeze it. This way we can have chickpeas ready to make this salad anytime we want. If you prefer a spicy salad, add some cayenne chili powder or even finely chopped chilies to the salad.
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