Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad

This tasty Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad is chock full of protein for a hearty salad that eats like a meal. Rotini pasta, chickpeas, cucumbers, black olives, and cherry tomatoes are tossed with an olive oil and lemon juice based dressing for a rainbow of color and flavor.

If you love chickpeas, I guarantee you’ll also love this Quinoa Chickpea Salad, this Simple Chickpea Salad, and this Sausage Chickpea Stew.

Loaded with fresh veggies like cucumbers and tomatoes this hearty gluten-free chickpea pasta salad will keep you full for hours. Guaranteed to please both the plant-based food lover and carnivore alike.

Perfect for a weekday lunch or light dinner you can’t go wrong whenever you serve this Mediterranean pasta salad with chickpeas. Bring this salad to your next pot luck, pack it up for a picnic lunch or pair with your weekend barbeque.

If you haven’t made a salad with chickpeas before you don’t know what you’re missing. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a small, white colored legume that you can buy canned or dried. Canned chickpeas are super convenient to use as you can easily throw them into soups, stews or salads to be eaten warm or cold. Loaded with protein and fiber, chickpeas are also a good source of iron and can be a nice change of pace for a meatless meal.

Why You’ll Love This Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta

Loaded with protein: Using chickpea pasta and chickpeas makes this pasta salad chock full of protein. A great choice to fuel up!

Adaptable: If you don’t have any chickpeas in the pantry you can use any kind of legume or bean. You can also add in different vegetables if you like.

Healthy: The protein, fiber, and good fat in this recipe give it an A+ for healthy.

Easy: Fast and easy to prepare you can make this pasta salad in no time at all.

Ingredient Notes

Salad

• Pasta – Chickpea rotini pasta is a great gluten-free pasta.
• Chickpeas or garbanzo beans – Canned chickpeas add flavor, texture and protein.
• Cherry tomatoes – Sliced cherry tomatoes add a pop of color and a burst of flavor though full sized tomatoes will also work.
• Cucumbers – Mini cucumbers, chopped small, make a great crunchy addition to the salad.
• Black olives – Sliced olives add a nice salty flavor to the pasta salad.
• Red onions – Diced red onions add a touch of color and a mild onion flavor.

Dressing

• Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salads.
• Fresh parsley – Fresh parsley adds a pop of green to the salad; Italian or curly both work.
• Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the dressing a nice tart flavor.
• Mustard – Use country or Dijon mustard.
• Salt and pepper – Add to your taste preference.

How To Make Pasta Salad With Chickpeas

• Step 1: Follow the package instructions to cook the chickpea rotini pasta. It’s always a good idea to cook the pasta al dente when using it in a salad. Drain, rinse and set aside.
• Step 2: While the pasta cooks you can chop the veggies and rinse the canned chickpeas. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then add the chickpea pasta.
• Step 3: Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. If you want to, go ahead and mix in other spices or fresh herbs like oregano or basil.
• Step 4: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad ingredients and give it a good stir. It’s now ready to serve! Add crumbled feta cheese if there are no dairy allergies or use a vegan feta if you want to keep the salad dairy free.

Tips and Variations

• Use a different bean: Instead of chickpeas use kidney beans or navy beans.
• Change up the olives: Try green olives or a combination of both.
• Throw in some peppers: Add red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers. Roast them beforehand for a more intense flavor.
• Modify the pasta: Any short shaped pasta will work well in this salad. If you aren’t fussed about gluten free pasta you can use a wheat based one.
• Switch the tomatoes: If you can’t find cherry tomatoes you can use grape or Roma tomatoes. Whatever is in season and ripe will add the best flavor.
• Substitute the cucumber: Use an English or field cucumber instead of the mini cucumbers.
• Try a different oil: Use avocado oil for the dressing instead of olive oil.
• Let the pasta cool: Let the pasta cool down before mixing it with the vegetables and dressing.
• Add greens: Mix in arugula, kale, or spinach if you want to add some greens.
• Top with cheese: Top the salad with crumbled feta or goat cheese.

Make ahead and storage

This salad is perfect to make ahead as it will allow the flavors to mingle and develop. Leftovers will keep for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chickpea salad is best eaten fresh so freezing is not recommended.

FAQs

Looking for more salad recipes?

• Quinoa Beet and Arugula Salad
• Quinoa Kale Butternut Squash Salad
• Crunchy Cauliflower Rice Salad
• Mediterranean Hummus Salad