Flavorful Marinated Chickpeas transform a plain can of garbanzo beans into the most magical and delicious side dish! Vegan and Vegetarian versions available.
Chickpeeeeeeeas!
They’re essentially a food group around here.
We love them every which way.
Whether you mash them up for an epic Chickpea Salad Sandwich, blend them into a Buffalo Chickpea Veggie Burger, or let them steal the spotlight in a healthy Greek Chickpea Salad – these gorgeous little garbanzos are sure to rock your plate.
Today’s chickpea faceplant was inspired by the other love of my life: marinated tomatoes.
I’ve been scarfing them all Summer long! Now that Florida’s tomato season is on its last leg, I needed one more tasty tomato faceplant to last me until next tomato season.
Marinated Chickpeas with Tomato and Cucumber
This marinated chickpea salad (it’s kind of a salad right?) was everything I dreamed of.
Each bite is blanketed with fresh Mediterranean flavors and the longer you let them sit, the tastier they get!
Start with a quality olive oil, brighten it up with some vinegar and lemon juice, then season the marinade with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Toss in a can of chickpeas and a medley of tasty veggies and get ready to marinate!
For best results allow the garbanzo beans and veggies to sit in the marinade for at least 30-60 minutes.
If you allow it to sit longer you’ll be rewarded with even more flavorful goodness!
Marinated Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Cucumber
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quality olive oil
- 2 TBSP red wine or white wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 1 large lemon (juiced)
- 1 clove garlic (smashed and minced) optional
- 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 15 oz canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 12 oz chopped tomatoes
- 5-6 oz seedless English cucumber (approx. half a large cucumber)
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 3-4 TBSP fresh chopped parsley to garnish
- 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (skip if vegan)
Instructions
- In a large, shallow bowl, mix together marinade by combining olive oil with vinegars, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Add chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure the veggies and chickpeas are evenly coated.
- If time permits and you allow it to sit for the full hour you'll be rewarded with even more flavorful goodness! You can also marinate this salad in the fridge if prefrerred.
- Before serving, add optioanl feta cheese and dive in. See notes for serving suggestions.
Notes
- with crispy crostini or warm fluffy flatbread
- as a tasty topping for hummus
- tossed with chopped romaine lettuce or kale for a tasty marinated chickpea salad
- swirled with pasta for a fun twist on pasta salad
- straight up as the marvelous mediterranean side dish it is
Nutrition
tasty serving suggestions for marinated chickpeas
- with crispy crostini or warm fluffy flatbread
- as a tasty topping for hummus
- tossed with chopped romaine lettuce or kale for a tasty marinated chickpea salad
- swirled with pasta for a fun twist on pasta salad
- straight up as the marvelous mediterranean side dish it is
As written these healthy marinated chickpeas are gluten-free, grain-free, vegetarian, and a gloriously make-ahead meal-prep option for the week.
Skip the optional feta to make it vegan and dairy-free.
If you get a chance to try these tasty marinated chickpeas, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
crazy for chickpeas?
Whip up these Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Taco Bowls next!
Get saucy with some Sweet and Sour Chickpeas or spicy Buffalo Chickpea Salad.
Craving a big bowl of soup? We love slurping this Chickpea Lemon Orzo Soup on a cold rainy day!
Questions & Reviews
Ate this today topped ins bed of spring mix. It was really good. I added green pepper and more tomatoes and cucumber because the dressing was a lot. I also used pickled red onion and added sunflower seeds.
Great recipe and a keeper.
Yay!!! So happy you enjoyed it Jill! xo
This chickpea recipe is one for the books! The marinade adds such an amazing flavor to this recipe!
So glad the chickpeas were a hit! Love them so!
I made a double batch of this today and I’ve already eaten most of it. Absolutely divine! I didn’t add balsamic vinegar, but didn’t miss it. Thanks so much for the recipe. I’ll be making more later tonight.
I’m so thrilled the marinated chickpeas were a hit! xoxo
Made this recipe as a side dish for a cookout. The burst of flavors in this recipe is the bomb.com. I added orzo pasta to make it hardier and I’m so glad I did. The orzo soaked up all the delicious marinade. This was a hit for vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Add it to your summer menu plans. You won’t be dissappointed!
I’m so so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Yazmin! Thanks for the sweet review!
I made this EXACTLY as written except that I used a Vidalia onion rather than a red onion. Both my balsamic and my EVO were top quality as was the boutique white wine vinegar. All my ingredients were ‘farm fresh.’ I should have known that there was no way the concoction would look like the photograph, with all those bright appetizing colors, because the dark balsamic turned it all into a muddy looking mess. Even if we could overlook the visual, the overall taste was disappointing at best. A waste of nice ingredients and time.
Made this exactly as directed (except used regular cucumber) and is was delicious. Going into our file of recipes to repeat.
Yay!!! I’m so happy it was a hit!
So fresh and delicious! I added avocado and substituted cilantro for the parsley. I can’t stop “sampling ” it!
LOVE the addition of avocado and cilantro! Sounds like two marvelous additions!
This looks so good! I am going to save this to get my bestie to make for me soon. She loves cooking food for me!!
Chickpeas are an aging woman’s best friend because they are slam-packed with protein! (Learned this from Jenn with Peas&Crayons – thank you!) The problem is finding different ways to enjoy these little nuggets of goodness. The flavor is very well-balanced and the texture is perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you!
We love chickpeas at our house too and I am always looking for new ways to use them! We have probably one last batch of tomatoes to pick and they will be perfect for this salad!
So jealous you have tomatoes left over! Ours ran out several weeks ago and I miss them already. Enjoy the salad, Pam! xoxo
This looks amazing! All the colors and flavors are going to be wonderful for my lunch!!
Thanks Beth!