This Cucumber Chickpea Feta Salad is a no-fuss, flavor-packed side dish or salad that comes together in under 20 minutes. It’s crunchy, creamy, tangy, and herbaceous. The perfect side dish for summer barbecues, potlucks, or just a light lunch.
Pair it with my Chicken Souvlaki, Harissa Chicken Skewers or keep it vegetarian and enjoy it with crusty bread or my Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie).
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Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect for lunch or meal prep. Because there’s no lettuce in this salad, it holds up really well. Pack it for your work lunch. It’s also great for meal prep.
- Customizable. Make it your own by adding or changing up any of the ingredients. Use this recipe as a guide!
- Potluck Standout! I have made this recipe for large gatherings and potlucks. It holds up really well. Check out some of my other hearty salads like my Lebanese Fattoush, Greek Chicken Salad, Bean Antipasto Salad, Kale Chickpea Salad, Grilled Asparagus White Bean Salad and Fiesta Salad.
Ingredients
A simple recipe that uses standard pantry and fresh simple ingredients. Here’s what you will need:
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) make this recipe quick and easy. I don’t know about you, but I always have a can of chickpeas in my pantry. You could cook your own dry chickpeas, but honestly, why bother?
- Cucumbers: I recommend using Persian cucumbers here. If you only have a large English cucumber, I recommend peeling it and removing some of the seed cavity to avoid having a watery salad. If you have extra crisp cucumbers on hand, try my Greek Butter Bean Salad, Kale Chickpea Salad or Cucumber Radish Feta Salad too.
- Feta: Creamy Greek feta cheese is the way to go here. But you could also use goat cheese. Or don’t use cheese at all and keep the recipe vegan (or use a vegan feta substitute). Here are a few other ways to use salty feta cheese: Eggplant Bruschetta and Maroulosalata (Greek Feta and Lettuce Salad).
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill and fresh parsley give the salad a bright, herbaceous touch. But if you don’t have them, don’t go out of your way to buy. Use what you have on hand. Chives, green onions, fresh mint, fresh basil or even cilantro would work well too.
- Grainy mustard: Adds depth and a little texture to the dressing. You can totally use regular Dijon mustard if that’s what you have. You can use grainy mustard in other recipes like my Asparagus Potato Salad (with Peas and Herbs).
Refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make this Chickpea Cucumber Salad recipe
A super simple recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes. No, seriously!
Step 1. Make Dressing. In your serving bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, grainy mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
Step 2. Assemble. Add the chickpeas, chopped cucumbers, chopped red onion, crumbled creamy feta, dill, and parsley directly into the bowl with the dressing.
Step 3. Mix. Gently mix everything until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chill for a bit to let the flavors meld.
Pairing and Menu Ideas
This is an excellent salad to serve as a starter or as a side with one of my grilled or roasted protein recipes. Serve it with:
- Greek Souvlaki Skewers
- Chicken Shish Tawook
- Beef Kofta or Chicken Kofta
- Persian Kebab Koobideh
- Harissa Chicken Skewers
- Chicken Shawarma
- One-Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
This chickpea cucumber feta salad can also work as a light lunch, served with a side of crusty bread or one of my focaccia recipes (Tomato Focaccia, Feta Focaccia, or Whole Wheat Focaccia).
Expert Tips
- Skin the chickpeas. This is totally optional, but you can gently try to remove and discard the chickpea skins. Place the chickpeas in a colander and run them under cold water. Using your hands, gently try to peel the skins. This is not really necessary.
- Make it your own. Customize with extras like leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, or kalamata olives. You can also add protein to it, like chicken, steak or shrimp. Not a fan of vinegar? Use fresh lemon juice instead.
- Let it mingle. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.
- Consistent bites: Try to cut your ingredients as evenly as possible. It’ll make for a more enjoyable eating experience.
- Perfect meal prep recipe. I would recommend mixing your dressing and other ingredients separately. Divide the dressing equally into your individual serving containers (like a mason jar) and then top with the divided tossed salad ingredients. Seal your containers and refrigerate. Before serving, shake up the containers to disperse the dressing. Other meal prep salads to try: Fiesta Salad and Antipasto Salad.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can prep the salad a few hours ahead. Just store it in the fridge and add the herbs and feta right before serving.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It may get a bit watery, so give it a stir before serving.
If you make this Cucumber Chickpea Feta Salad or any other salad recipe on Urban Farm and Kitchen, please take a moment to rate the recipe ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe.
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Recipe Card
Cucumber Chickpea Feta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Grainy mustard
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 1 can Chickpeas (drained) - 19 ounce (540ml) can
- 4 Persian cucumbers (diced)
- ½ cup Greek feta cheese (crumbled)
- ½ Red onion (finely chopped) - Use more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon Fresh dill (chopped)
Instructions
- Make Dressing. In your serving bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon Red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Grainy mustard, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon Black pepper to make the dressing.
- Assemble. Add 1 can Chickpeas (drained), 4 Persian cucumbers (diced), ½ cup Greek feta cheese (crumbled), ½ Red onion (finely chopped), 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (chopped), and 2 tablespoon Fresh dill (chopped) directly into the bowl with the dressing.
- Mix. Gently mix everything until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or chill for a bit to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- Cucumbers: I recommend using Persian cucumbers here. If you only have a large English cucumber, I recommend peeling it and removing some of the seed cavity to avoid having a watery salad.
- Feta: Creamy Greek feta cheese is the way to go here. But you could also use goat cheese. Or don’t use cheese at all and keep the recipe vegan (or use a vegan feta substitute).
- Fresh Herbs: Fresh dill and fresh parsley give the salad a bright, herbaceous touch. But if you don’t have them, don’t go out of your way to buy. Use what you have on hand. Chives, green onions, fresh mint, fresh basil or even cilantro would work well too.
- Grainy mustard: Adds depth and a little texture to the dressing. You can totally use regular Dijon mustard if that’s what you have.
Jaimee says
Quick and delicious
Luay Ghafari says
Thank you for the review!
Lisa says
Just made this. Added black beans and used parsley and cilantro because I didn’t have dill. Tastes delicious!! Thank you