Cucumber and Chickpea Salad is a fresh and colorful summer salad or side dish made with chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and provolone cheese. It is then tossed in a tangy homemade dressing.

This easy salad is perfect for cookouts, picnics, and light summer meals.  It’s packed with flavor, simple to prepare, and always a crowd favorite.  
 

My husband loves chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and usually eats them in a tossed salad. The day that I made this salad, he ate a bowl of it for lunch, and then again as a side dish with dinner.  We really enjoyed all of the other veggies that were in here. 

HOW TO MAKE CUCUMBER AND CHICKPEA SALAD
INGREDIENTS:

• SALAD
• Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
• English cucumber
• Green and Red bell peppers
• Sweet onion
• Cherry (or grape) tomatoes
• Provolone cheese

  DRESSING

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Minced garlic
• Kosher salt
• Coarse black pepper
• Red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

QUICK OVERVIEW

• Wash and prepare the vegetables, partially peel the cucumber
• Chop the vegetables and cube the cheese. Drain and rinse chickpeas.
• Add all salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
• In a jar with a lid, combine the dressing ingredients and shake well.
• Pour about half to two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours,
• Toss again before serving and add more dressing if needed. 

 

Clean the vegetables. Partially peeling the English cucumber will make it look fancier in the salad.

I have this tool that I purchased many years ago from Pampered Chef. A fork ran down the sides of the cucumber will give it the same effect.

Chop the vegetables and cut the cheese into cubes. Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Place all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the ingredients for the salad dressing in a jar with a lid. Shake the dressing well to combine.  The unused dressing can be stored in this jar. 

Pour about half – two thirds of the dressing over the beans and vegetables. Gently fold to cover the ingredients. Place in an airtight container and chill at least 2 hours.  

Prior to serving the salad, toss again to stir and add additional amount of dressing as desired. 

WHY EVERYONE LOVES THIS CUCUMBER AND CHICKPEA SALAD

• It is quick and easy to prepare
• Packed with protein, fiber, and colorful vegetables
• Budget friendly and great for using garden vegetables 
• The recipe is easy to double or triple and take to serve a crowd
• Perfect for cookouts, picnics, and potlucks 

HELPFUL TIPS AND VARIATIONS FOR CUCUMBER AND CHICKPEA SALAD

• This dish is best eaten within 2 days of making it. It will last 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but I have noticed that the cheese starts to get soft and a little mushy after that.  
• Feta cheese is often used in this salad. Just crumble it and add to the vegetables. My family just likes provolone better. 
• Other add ins are diced avocado, fresh chopped dill, parsley, or mint, kalamata olives, and red onion instead of sweet onion.   Lime juice can be used instead of lemon if preferred. Fresh juice   will add more flavor vs the bottled juices.

As the weather becomes warmer, it is so good to have simple dishes that use fresh vegetables and are lighter for summer. It is also great to have ideas of sides to take to a cookout or picnic. Some other summer recipes I make are BLACK BEAN AND CORN SALAD, 
FROZEN PEA SALAD, and PROTEIN PACKED PASTA SALAD.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, just refrigerate in an airtight container and toss before serving.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Yes, but fresh lemon juice will give it a better flavor

This recipe was shared on SWEET LITTLE BLUEBIRD Weekend Potluck.