Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing
On January 24, 2025
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For a no-fuss salad bursting with fresh flavor to serve at your BBQ or on a busy weeknight, try this chickpea salad with lemon dill dressing.
Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing
Fresh, vibrant, and ready in minutes, this Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad combines crisp vegetables with protein-packed garbanzo beans in a bright lemon dill dressing. Crisp cucumber, sweet bell peppers, and juicy tomatoes provide refreshing crunch, while red onions add a subtle bite. The homemade dressing, featuring fresh herbs and tangy lemon, turns simple ingredients into an impressive dish perfect for potlucks, BBQ gatherings, or light weeknight dinners. If you’re ready to add this salad to your menu, let’s get started.
Are chickpeas healthy?
Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) pack a nutritional punch in this light, refreshing salad. These guys have a high protein and fiber content, with a nutty flavor soaks up the bright citrus dressing. When you pair them with fresh vegetables, your chickpeas create a balanced dish that provides the perfect contrast to rich, smoky BBQ flavors. You can even skip the smoker altogether, if you want to enjoy this salad as a light meal.
Ingredients for this Recipe
This chickpea salad is all about simplicity, with just five fresh ingredients for the base and seven common items for the zesty dressing. The entire dish comes together in 10-15 minutes, so you can create unforgettable flavors with ease. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Salad Ingredients
- 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 large English cucumber (sliced and quartered)
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 orange or yellow bell pepper (diced)
- ¼ cup red onion (thinly sliced)
Lemon Dill Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives (minced)
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- juice of half a lemon
Onion Soaking Pro Tip
Raw onions can overpower a delicate salad like this with their sharp bite, so a quick soak in cool water mellows that punchiness while maintaining their satisfying crunch. Just slice your onions, then place them in the refrigerator in cool water for 5-10 minutes. This simple step tames the intensity of the onions while preserving their sweet notes and crisp texture. While optional, I highly recommend this step.
How to Make Chickpea Salad
This vibrant salad is bursting with flavor, but it’s surprisingly easy to create. Follow these simple steps for a fresh and delicious dish:
- Prepare the chickpeas and vegetables. Before tossing everything together, you want to prepare your ingredients. Drain and rinse your chickpeas, and use a sharp knife to slice your veggies. If you’re planning on soaking your onions, you can do that now while you prepare your dressing.
- Make the dressing. Combine all the ingredients for your dressing in a small bowl, then stir or whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve fully. The fresh herbs and bright lemon juice create a smooth, zesty dressing to coat your veggies.
- Add the dressing. Once your dressing is ready, drizzle it all over the ingredients for your salad. Gently toss your chickpeas and veggies, ensuring everything gets an even coating of the herby dressing. Make sure to avoid breaking down the chickpeas or bruising the vegetables.
- Rest, serve, and enjoy. You can enjoy your salad right away, but I recommend giving it 45 minutes to an hour. You want to allow your salad this time to rest so the flavors can continue to meld together. The chickpeas will absorb the bright dressing while the vegetables maintain their crisp texture. This step is optional, but trust me, you’ll be happy you did it.
Serving Suggestions
The versatility of this chickpea salad is what makes it such a killer recipe to have in your arsenal. It’s at home as a side for some yummy BBQ, or as a light entree during a hectic week. I love serving this salad alongside some smoked chicken, tender pork chops, or a perfectly seared steak. The light salad complements the heavy meats, while the bright notes cut through the richness. Honestly, this salad is a welcome addition to any smoked or grilled platter.
Making Ahead and Storing Leftover Chickpea Salad
If you have any leftover chickpea salad, or want to make it ahead of time, that’s no problem. Simply place your salad in an airtight container, then store in your refrigerator an additional 3-4 days. The flavors continue to develop overnight, though the vegetables will soften slightly. Before enjoying your salad again, give it gentle toss and taste for seasoning. You can give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you need to brighten the flavor back up.
More Easy Salad Recipes
After you try this chickpea salad, you’ll be looking for even more awesome salads to whip up for your next BBQ. I’ve got dozens of simple and tasty salad recipes, so you have some variety while enjoying these healthy sides. You can find all of them in your Recipe Library and the Hey Grill Hey App, but here are some of my favorites to try next:
Simple Chickpea Salad Recipe
Give this chickpea salad a try at your next BBQ, and make sure to give the recipe a 5-star review. I’d love to see how it turns out. You can share some mouthwatering photos of your creations with the Hey Grill Hey community by tagging @heygrillhey on Facebook and Instagram. And don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel for more grilling tips and recipes that’ll take your BBQ game to the next level.
Chickpea Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 large English cucumber sliced and quartered
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper or red, diced
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
Lemon Dill Dressing
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chives minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the chickpeas and vegetables. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, and prepare the vegetables for the salad. If you want to soak your onions in cool water for 5-10 minutes to temper the bite, do so now. Place everything else in a large bowl, then add the onions after the finish soaking.2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, 1 large English cucumber, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 orange bell pepper, ¼ cup red onion
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice with the fresh dill, parsley, and chives, then add your salt and sugar. Stir until everything is incorporated, and the salt and sugar dissolve fully.3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ lemon
- Add the dressing. Pour your mixed dressing over the salad ingredients, then gently stir everything to combine. You want a nice mix of ingredients, and for everything to have an even coating of dressing.
- Rest, serve, and enjoy. You can enjoy your salad right away, but I prefer to let mine set for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This allows all the flavors to meld. Don’t go any longer than 2 hours, so everything stays crisp. Enjoy as a light meal, or serve alongside your favorite meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
