Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon

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This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner.

Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
15 mins
Servings:
4
  • This variation of a classic Greek-style salad makes a satisfying side dish or a light lunch option.
  • Cucumbers promote heart health, while chickpeas can aid in controlling blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
  • Firm, thin-skinned English or Persian cucumbers hold up the best, but you can use any kind of cucumber.

Our Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon is a refreshing and updated spin-off of a classic Greek salad. We used traditional ingredients, such as antioxidant-packed red onion, sweet bell pepper, hydrating cucumber and salty feta cheese in our salad. We added fiber-rich chickpeas, fresh herby dill and tangy lemon—all combined with heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil. This is perfect as a dinner side or a light make-ahead lunch. Keep reading for our expert tips on smart ingredient substitutions, serving suggestions and more!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • Any type of cucumber will work, but English and Persian cucumbers are firm, hold up well in salads, have a thin, tender skin that doesn't need peeling and contain few seeds.
  • We suggest rinsing the chickpeas before using them, which will help remove a lot of the sodium.
  • While bottled lemon juice can be convenient, especially when you don't have a lemon handy, we suggest using a fresh lemon for salads whenever possible. The flavor is brighter, there aren't any additives and it's nutritious.
  • You can substitute the red bell pepper with another color, but the red is the sweetest. Orange and yellow peppers are slightly less sweet, while green peppers are more bitter. And if you don't have fresh dill, use parsley, cilantro or chervil as alternatives.

Nutrition Notes

  • Cucumbers are hydrating being almost 96% water—this makes them a low-carb vegetable that can be enjoyed with many different dietary patterns. Cucumbers also contain potassium, calcium and magnesium—an excellent vegetable for heart health.
  • Chickpeas are a versatile bean that are high in fiber, which is important for maintaining a healthy digestive system and microbiome. Chickpeas are also an excellent source of magnesium—essential for blood pressure and blood sugar control, and it may help you sleep better.
  • Red bell peppers are packed with antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene. Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage and help lower inflammation from everyday stressors, such as pollution, stress and exposure to environmental chemicals.
Overhead view of ingredients for Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon recipe

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

  • 2 cups diced cucumber

  • cup crumbled feta cheese

  • ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

  • ¼ cup diced red bell pepper

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Directions

  1. Stir 2 tablespoons oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add 15 ounces chickpeas, 2 cups cucumber, ⅓ cup feta, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup bell pepper and 2 tablespoons dill; toss to coat.

    Overhead view of a bowl of Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon recipe

    Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Annie Probst

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What can I do with extra feta cheese?

    This recipe requires ⅓ cup of feta cheese, which is approximately 2 ounces, so a 4-ounce container will suffice. However, if a larger container is more economical for you, you can use the extra feta in so many ways including omelets and frittatas, or add it to meatloaf and pizza. Alternatively, you can freeze feta for up to 3 months. While the texture may change, it will still work well when cooked like in casseroles and soups.

  • Can I use the lemon dressing on something else?

    Of course! A lemon dressing like this one is versatile. It would be good on leafy greens or taco salad, grilled cabbage wedges or drizzled over roasted vegetables, chicken or fish.

  • How should I store leftovers?

    We like this salad fresh, but if you have leftovers, put them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

  • What should I serve with Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon?

    You can enjoy this chickpea salad as a light meal with pita bread or pair it with a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to make dinner easy. It would also be excellent with our Chicken Souvlaki with Herbed Couscous, Kefta, Easy Spicy Salmon Cakes, Crustless Spinach & Asparagus Quiche with Gruyère or Crispy Panko-Parmesan Baked Shrimp.

EatingWell.com, June 2023

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

183 Calories
11g Fat
15g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Serving Size generous 1 cup
Calories 183
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 2g
Added Sugars 0g 0%
Protein 6g 12%
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Vitamin A 427IU 9%
Vitamin C 18mg 20%
Vitamin D 2IU 1%
Vitamin E 1mg 9%
Folate 41mcg 10%
Vitamin K 6mcg 5%
Sodium 483mg 21%
Calcium 103mg 8%
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 35mg 8%
Potassium 259mg 6%
Zinc 1mg 9%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications.