Chicken Chickpea salad with Feta (Mediterranean Recipe)
Main ingredients:
 | Boneless skinless Chicken |
 | Chickpeas |
 | Spinach |
 | Red onion |
 | Feta cheese |
Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:
 | Olive oil |
 | Garlic powder or flakes |
 | Balsamic vinegar |
 | Paprika |
 | (Optional) Cayenne pepper |
 | Salt and pepper |
If you are looking for a light and healthy lunch or dinner idea, this chicken chickpea salad is for you. It is delicious, nutritious, protein-packed and it will keep you full for hours.
With olive oil and feta cheese, and of course chickpeas, this dish is a staple of the Mediterranean diet. Chickpeas are sometimes referred to as garbanzo beans and are a type of legume. They are commonly used as a culinary ingredient in around the Mediterranean basin in Provence, the Middle East and Indian cuisines.
It is a light summery dish, and avoids cooking over a stove for long hours which is always a win. And chicken and chickpeas pair quite well together, so this dish can be served its own, or can also be served as a side dish.
Shortcuts to cooking
Now the main ingredient that needs to be cooked is the chicken. The chicken can be cooked in a pressure cooker, over the stove, or even in the oven. Please make sure that the chicken is fully cooked, as I don’t want anyone getting sick with uncooked chicken!
Now, if you don’t have the patience for cooking chicken, you can skip it entirely or add another ingredient like smoked ham or charcuterie.
The chickpeas will also need to be cooked, but in this case you can just buy canned chickpeas that are already cooked. I like to cook them for 2 minutes in the microwave to liven and soften them up a bit, but you can also cook them lightly on the stove or serve as is.
The other ingredients like the onion and spinach don’t need to be cooked, especially if you are using baby spinach. But if you want to heat them up lightly, you can.
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Chicken Chickpea salad with Feta (Mediterranean Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 cups of canned chickpeas
- 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
- 15 oz of boneless skinless chicken (2-3 medium size pieces)
- 1 small red onion
- 8 oz of feta cheese (1 block)
For the sauce
- 4-5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- pinch of garlic flakes
- pinch of paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces for faster cooking.
- Grill the chicken at medium to high heat on the stove for at least 20-25 minutes until cooked. (You can also use a pressure cooker.)
- Open the cans of chickpeas and place into a serving bowl that is microwavable.
- Wash the spinach leaves and shred into small pieces and place in the bowl.
- Mix the chickpeas and spinach and microwave on high for 2 minutes.
- Chop the onion and feta cheese into small pieces and add to the serving bowl.
- Once the chicken is cooked add to the bowl and mix all together.
- In a smaller bowl, combine all the ingredients to make the sauce.
- Stir the sauce into the salad serving bowl and mix throughly.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
Chicken chickpea salad goes wonderfully as a starter or side dish with a meat dish that is rich in flavor.
Try a boeuf bourguignon, a chicken provençale, or pork tenderloin. It can also be served by itself, if you are looking for a lighter meal.
What drinks to serve with it?
You can pair a chicken chickpea salad with a light rosé from Provence or the Côtes du Rhône to keep with the Mediterranean theme. You can read more about French wines here.
How to store it?
This chicken chickpea salad can easily be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge for at least a couple of days.
In addition, the chickpeas and chicken can be frozen but the rest of the ingredients should be added fresh to the recipe. If you have leftovers, place it in glass containers in the fridge for a day or two until you are ready to eat it.
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