Fresh, crunchy, chunky veggies and canned chickpeas tossed in my delicious, 5-minute homemade herby, tangy Greek Salad Dressing– without any feta or lettuce! Think of this as your new go-to chunky, dairy-free Chickpea Greek Salad that comes together in less than 15-minutes, is perfect for meal prep, and still tastes just as good as the real thing!
Friends, let’s cut to the chase. I almost ate this entire Healthy Chickpea Greek Salad in one sitting, it’s that good.
One thing you need to know about me is that I love Greek salad. Crunchy veggies drizzled with my mouthwatering, herby, lemony, healthy Greek Salad Dressing, what isn’t to love?!
But as a Registered Dietitian, I wanted to kick this salad up a notch by making it a little more well-rounded, so it could be a stand-alone meal if you wanted it to! Enter canned chickpeas.
Now, of course, I wouldn’t be able to call this authentic Greek salad because 1) I’m not Greek and 2) It doesn’t use feta, 3) There’s no lettuce anywhere to be found, but it still tastes darn near close to the real thing for all of my dairy-free friends!
So What Do We Use Instead of Feta?!
Okay, hear me out… Nutritional yeast!
I know, I know, you might be thinking that there’s no way that nutritional yeast could replace the deliciousness of feta, but if you’re dairy-free, or just want to try something a little different, I promise that the nutritional yeast adds a shocking amount of delicious cheesiness, as well as a little extra protein and B vitamins!
Have some leftover nutritional yeast to use up? Why not try my High Protein Vegan Broccoli Soup, 30-Minute Healthy Chickpea & Vegan Sausage Gnocchi with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce, or Crispy Rosemary Thyme Baked Tofu?!
Can You Eat This Chickpea Greek Salad On Its Own?
Totally! We have a great balance of protein, fiber and carbs from the chickpeas, healthy fats in the Greek Salad Dressing, and lots of vitamins and minerals in the veggies!
But if you are looking to pair this salad with something, may I suggest my Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, Healthy Air Fryer Tofu Nuggets, or Easy Vegan Lasagna Soup?!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Let’s round up the super simple ingredient list!
5-Minute Fresh & Healthy Greek Salad Dressing: For herby, lemony, garlicky deliciousness! While you can totally use a store bought dressing, if you have all of the ingredients I highly recommend making this from scratch, since it takes less than 5 minutes and totally elevates the salad!
Canned Chickpeas: Because let’s be real, I’m not about to spend time cooking chickpeas from scratch. These add protein, carbs and fiber to the salad!
Chopped Bell Pepper, Cucumber, Red Onion & Cherry Tomatoes: As the chunky veggie base! You’ll notice that we don’t actually use lettuce in this recipe, because I think it’s even more delicious without it, but if you’re looking for a ‘true’ green salad, my 5-Minute Fresh Green Salad with Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette (which you can also use my Greek Salad Dressing on!) is also delicious!
Kalamata Olives & their Brine: Kalamata olives are a staple in any Greek salad, but my secret weapon to make this salad taste even more delicious is adding a splash of the brine from the kalamata olives for extra tangy, salty flavor.
Nutritional Yeast: For cheesy, umami deliciousness, without the feta!
Salt & Pepper: Of course! I like using fresh cracked black pepper on this Chickpea Greek Salad for a little kick.
Let’s Whip Up Some Chickpea Salad!
This salad seriously couldn’t be easier to make and requires just a few easy steps!
- Start by making a batch of 5-Minute Homemade, Healthy Greek Salad Dressing.
- Next, combine the drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives in a large bowl. Drizzle the salad dressing on top, as well as the kalamata olive juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine and enjoy!
Looking for More Canned Chickpea Recipes?!
Best Ever 10-Minute BBQ Chickpeas
15-Minute Sticky Sesame Chickpeas with Ginger
Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe with Crispy Chickpeas
Connect with Lauren
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you try it, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a review in the comments below. You can also find 60 other delicious, easy plant-based recipes in my cookbook, The Simple Vegan Kitchen!
Also, be sure to take a photo and tag me at @tastingtothrive_rd so I can re-share on my stories! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest so you never miss a new recipe or blog post.
15-Minute Fresh & Healthy Chickpea Greek Salad (No Feta!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 batch 5-Minute Fresh Homemade Greek Salad Dressing
- 540 ml canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 large bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives sliced
- 1 tbsp kalamata olive brine
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste I used about 1/4 tsp of each
Instructions
- Start by making a batch of 5-Minute Homemade, Healthy Greek Salad Dressing.
- Next, combine the drained and rinsed canned chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives in a large bowl. Drizzle the salad dressing on top, as well as the kalamata olive juice, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine and enjoy!
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