Feta & Cranberry Chickpeas with Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe
This refreshing and vibrant Feta & Cranberry Chickpeas salad features creamy feta, sweet dried cranberries, and a zesty lemon vinaigrette. It’s a perfect quick and healthy vegetarian dish that combines protein-rich chickpeas with a burst of fresh flavors and textures.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-cook, Mixing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the salad ingredients: In a large bowl, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, finely chopped red onion, and fresh parsley. Gently toss to mix the ingredients evenly.
- Prepare the lemon vinaigrette: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until the dressing is well combined and emulsified.
- Toss the salad with dressing: Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the chickpea mixture and toss gently but thoroughly to ensure every bite is coated with the zesty dressing.
- Serve or chill: You can serve the salad immediately for a fresh, crisp texture or refrigerate it for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors meld and develop even further before serving.
Notes
- For a vegan option, replace feta cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative or omit it entirely.
- Use maple syrup instead of honey to keep the recipe vegan-friendly.
- If you prefer a less tangy dressing, reduce the lemon juice by half.
- Chilling the salad enhances the flavors but serve within 24 hours for best freshness.
- Feel free to add toasted nuts like walnuts or almonds for extra crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: feta chickpea salad, cranberry chickpeas, lemon vinaigrette salad, vegetarian Mediterranean salad, healthy chickpea salad
