This Easy Orzo and Chickpea Salad recipe is the perfect healthy addition to your summer menu! With vibrant Mediterranean flavors and protein-packed garbanzo beans, this salad works great as a side dish for BBQ or a light and refreshing lunch.
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There are so many things to love about summer, but I particularly love the transition to a whole new seasonal menu. The heavy meat and potato meals of winter are behind us, and we can now focus on simple, fresh meals full of fruits and veggies we get from our garden.
This Easy Orzo and Chickpea Salad recipe is the perfect example. It's a snap to make in advance for a backyard BBQ, plus it doubles as a tasty lunch or snack to pull out of the fridge when hunger strikes.
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Why this recipe works
- Fast and flavorful: With just a handful of fresh ingredients plus your pantry staples, you can create this flavorful Greek chickpea salad in no time. It's the perfect side dish for grilled meats or makes a great lunch you can eat throughout the week.
- Plant-based protein: Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, give this salad a boost of healthy, plant-based protein.
Ingredients
A few ingredient notes:
- I specify orzo in the recipe but any other small shaped pasta like rings or ditalini will work, too.
- Not a goat cheese fan? Feta cheese is a tasty substitute.
- I used canned chickpeas but feel free to cook dried garbanzo beans if you prefer.
Instructions
There are two steps to this salad: make the vinaigrette and then assemble the salad.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously until emulsified.
Place salad ingredients together in a bowl and stir to mix. Drizzle with ¾ of vinaigrette and stir again. Pop salad in the fridge for at least an hour and drizzle with reserved dressing when serving.
FAQs
Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are legumes that high in fiber, iron, and protein. A real plant-based superfood! You can buy dry chickpeas at the grocery store, but they are also found cooked and labeled in the canned goods section as Garbanzo Beans.
If you've ever eaten hummus, you've eaten chickpeas. They are the primary ingredients in hummus.
You can easily substitute regular orzo for gluten-free orzo. Our favorite brand is Delallo.
Sure! If you can't find garbanzo beans, we suggest Great Northern Beans as a substitute. They have similar buttery flavor that would pair nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Refresh the flavor of this garbanzo bean salad recipe with an extra splash of the oregano vinaigrette before serving.
We serve this chilled right out of the fridge or at room temperature!
Expert tips for making this Chickpea Salad recipe
- Add some grilled chicken or fish and make this Mediterranean chickpea salad a complete meal!
- Feta cheese is an excellent substitute for goat cheese in this salad.
- Don't have orzo on hand? Try another small pasta like rings or ditalini.
- I sometimes toss in a handful of kalamata olives to this garbanzo bean salad for even more Greek flavor.
- Not serving this salad right away? Toss the salad with only ¾ of the vinaigrette and refresh the salad with the remaining dressing right before serving.
More pasta salad recipes
You can find all of our side dishes in our archives.
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Recipe
Easy Orzo and Chickpea Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dried orzo
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 ½ cups chopped cucumber
- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas or 3 cups canned, rinsed chickpeas
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Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- While orzo is cooking, Combine olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a small mason jar. Shake vigorously to combine.
- Add cooked orzo, goat cheese, cucumber, tomatoes and chickpeas to a large bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle ¾ of oregano vinaigrette over orzo mixture and stir to combine. Chill for at least 1 hour. Stir before serving and add remaining vinaigrette if desired.
Notes
- This salad tastes great chilled or at room temperature.
- Feta cheese is an excellent substitute for goat cheese in this salad.
- Reserve ¼ of the dressing if making this salad ahead of time and mix in right before serving for the freshest flavor.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Kathy says
Could artichokes be added to this? If so, would you use marinated ones & use the marinade or would one need to drain it off? Or, could artichokes in water be used [drained of course]. I'd cut them in half.
Also, if using Kalamata olives, do they need to be pitted?
Could Italian seasoning be substituted for the dried oregano. Or would fresh oregano be better and how much fresh?
Thank you. Sounds great. I am making it for our church picnic and will do it tonight for tomorrow.
Hi Kathy, you can definitely add artichokes to this! Either marinated or canned would work, though I would drain both options before adding to the salad so it doesn't get soupy with the extra liquid. Kalamata olives should be pitted, and Italian seasoning could easily be used in place of the oregano. I prefer dried herbs when I make vinaigrettes like the one in this recipe because I almost always have them on hand, but feel free to sprinkle some fresh oregano leaves on top of the finished dish if you want. Enjoy the picnic!
Karen says
This is so simple and delicious! Great as a simple meal on a bed of arugula. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you liked it, Karen! It's one of our summer faves, too.