I love this chickpea salad because it involves little more than opening jars, it keeps well for days and the chickpeas keep me full for longer. It’s like an antipasto platter, in the form of a protein-laden, good-for-you meal!
Antipasto Chickpea Salad
Professional food writers would probably describe chickpeas as a blank canvas for flavour. I’m not that eloquent. I’ll just say bluntly – I find chickpeas rather bland.
So when you see chickpeas in a recipe of mine, they are always with big, bold flavours. Think – Indian curries, chorizo stew, Moroccan tray bake, Brazilian stew, Greek Marinated Chickpea Salad.
Today’s recipe is no exception. Take canned chickpeas and toss with lots of punchy flavoured antipasto things – sun-dried tomato, roasted red peppers, artichokes and feta – tossed in a dressing made using the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomato.
Boring chickpeas? Not in my world!!
Ingredients in Antipasto Chickpea Salad
OK! Let’s get cracking opening jars. 😂 Here’s what you need.
Add-ins
Canned chickpeas – I use canned for convenience but if you’d prefer using dried, you will need 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas. 8 to 24 hours soak, 30 to 45 minute simmer.
Sun-dried tomato – Get the type in oil as we are using the oil from the jar to make the dressing!
Other antipasto things – Artichokes, roasted red peppers, olives. Feel free to switch out as you wish!
Baby rocket/arugula – Nice perky, slightly pepper leafy greens that works well with the bold flavours of the antipasto. Plus, it holds up better in salads than crisper leafy greens, like iceberg, when kept overnight.
Cherry tomatoes – Bursts of fresh juicy sweetness.
Danish feta, or Green feta – I like using Danish feta in this because it’s creamier and kind of goes smeary when tossed. But Greek feta works just as well from a flavour perspective.
Coriander/cilantro – Fresh herby goodness that works so well with the flavours in this salad!
Dressing
Sun-dried tomato oil – The oil reserved from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Free flavour!
Sherry vinegar – A slightly smoother vinegar with a little more layers of flavour. Substitute with champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Garlic – Minced using a garlic press or finely grated using a microplane, so it melds into the dressing.
Coriander – For a hint of subtle, warm spicing.
Salt and pepper – Only 1/4 teaspoon of each, because the antipasto items are already salty.
How to make this chickpea salad
A lot of jar opening! 😂
Strain 5 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into a jar to make the dressing. Top up with extra virgin olive oil, if you’re short.
Dressing – Add the rest of the ingredients into the jar and shake well until combined. I like using jars to make dressing – fast and effective way to mix the dressing up thoroughly, and useful to store leftover.
Drain & roughly chop the artichokes, roasted red peppers and sun dried tomato.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, but reserve a little feta and coriander/cilantro for garnish.
Pour over dressing.
Toss gently. Some of the feta will go a bit smeary and creamy – I love this! If you are after a more pristine look, then just hold the feta back until the end and do it throughout the salad.
Now THAT is a bowl of chickpea deliciousness.
Make this for dinner tonight, work-lunch tomorrow then have any leftovers on the side of whatever you’re having for dinner the night after.
I can’t wait for you to get hooked on this as I am! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Antipasto chickpea salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 5 tbsp oil reserved from sun-dried tomatoes jar (in salad, below), or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar (Note 1)
- 1 medium garlic clove , minced using garlic press (or finely grated)
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Salad (Note 2):
- 2 x 400g/14 oz cans chickpeas , drained (Note 3 for dried)
- 3 packed cups baby rocket/arugula leaves , roughly torn by hand into 2.5cm / 1″ pieces (Note 4)
- 350g/12 oz jar roasted red pepper strips , drained, roughly chopped into 2.5cm/1″ pieces
- 200g/7 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts , drained, roughly chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 cup sliced black kalamata olives
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato strips in oil , chopped into 1.25 cm / 1/2" pieces (reserve oil from jar for Dressing) (3 oz)
- 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
- 200g/7 oz Danish feta (or Greek) , crumbled
Instructions
- Dressing – Shake ingredients in a jar to combine.
- Toss – Set aside a bit of coriander/cilantro and feta for garnish. Place all remaining salad ingredients into a big mixing bowl. Pour dressing over salad, and toss gently together to combine well. The feta will get a bit smeary – love it!
- Serve – Transfer to serving dish. Garnish with reserved feta and coriander/cilantro. Dig in!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Food even trumps playing. Like owner, like dog!
Dearest Nagi, Congratulations on your success, what is interesting is how you stayed so meek and humble, you must of had a solid upbringing. You’re a winner in more ways than one, to give us free recipes each week, it has given us higher standards with our cooking, and eating better meals. Thank you and Dozer 🍝God Bless You!!
Just tried this out. Worked a treat!
I don’t have a great deal of experience using chickpeas – which brand of the canned variety would you recommend to a fellow Aussie?
Cheers in advance Nagi.
Hi Kim! Edgell is reliable – I stock up when it’s on sale because I always end up using them – and Annalisa is actually pretty good too for a more economical brand! I generally steer clear of home-brand / no frills canned beans as they quality is not great, often overly mushy and/or too salty. 🙂 N x
Cheers Nagi xxx
I’ve been following you and your website for over three years, and this looks like another masterpiece in my recipe collection. I love it!
I’ve noticed a “mistake” in servings recalculation – when going from 4 servings to 2, 2x400g chickpeas can is converted to 1x200g, instead of 1x400g.
Yikes, thanks Naty! Will fix! 🙂 N x
I’m a full on meat and 3 veg (or even just 2 veg and Yorkshire pud guy) but there is something about this recipe which I feel I must try.
This sounds and looks delicious! I can see myself whipping this up and serving with salmon, and then stuffing it into a pita pocket for lunch. I love anything with chickpeas in it!
Salad in a pita with both tahini sauce (per Ottolenghi) and tzatziki. I love coriander leaves so will be using more rather than none. And I must figure out a way to add anchovies and other fresh herbs like mint and dill, I love them so! Chickpeas, too. I also love adding the sundried tomato oil to the dressing. I’ll sub my small-batch malt vinegar for the sherry vinegar. And lots of feta, because I just can’t help myself. LOL
I live the sound of thus…but iffy on the artichoke but never had it so would gice it a go. But I definitely need to know a sub for the coriander i hate the stuff with a passion(along with zucchini) . Live tgat you were in y he heralds good food guide, dizer looks unfazed, perhaos the adulation suits him😀
I agree re coriander. I hope we get an answer! If not I usually fall back on Basil or Parsley
Ah a fellow coriander hater😁 i skways have parsley in the garden and sonetimes badil i love both so Ill try uour suggestion . Thankyou Tina!
Thanks Nagi, all my favourite flavours in one bowl.
Congrats on your brilliant book becoming award winning. Well deserved !
YUM! Thanks so much Nagi. Will make this in the weekend – King’s bday weekend in NZ.
Congratulations on your book award! Well deserved 😊
This looks AMAZING!! If it’s anything like the pasta salad in your cookbook, which it looks similar to, I CANNOT wait to try it!!!
I often view your recipes and site just to catch up with Dozer’s antics.
Have you considered doing a book that is just all about Dozer? That would be so cool!
Oh maybe Dozer can pick out his fave recipes to put in it too?