Indian Chickpea Salad (also known as Chana Salad) is a refreshing, delicious, and healthy side dish made with chickpeas, vibrant vegetables, and a tangy dressing. This super easy salad is ready in less than 10 minutes by simply tossing together a few ingredients.
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You can enjoy this delicious Chickpea Salad on its own as a light lunch/dinner or have it with our indulgent Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek), Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Peas, or Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight) as a side dish. This colorful and refreshing Chana Salad would be also a great accompaniment for grilled meat or fish.
Why This Recipe Works?
- This healthy and refreshing Chickpea Salad or Chana Salad is full of vibrant colors and flavors.
- It is packed with fibre and protein.
- No cooking required! Ready in just 10 minutes.
- It is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.
- No fancy ingredients are required, extremely easy to make and very versatile.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Chickpeas - I use both tinned and dry chickpeas for this recipe. If using dried chickpeas, simply soak them overnight or for at least 7 hours before cooking. Cook them for about an hour or until soft on medium heat. Make sure you don't overcook the chickpeas or they get mushy. Bring them to room temperature before using them in the salad.
- Vegetables - I use cucumbers, red peppers, red onions and pickled red cabbage (fresh would work great too) for this salad but you can use other vegetables such as beetroot, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes.
- Dressing - A simple dressing made with lemon juice, olive oil and cumin is perfect for this salad. Add some vinegar for extra sharpness.
- Herbs - Coriander, parsley or mint works great with this refreshing salad.
How to Make Summer Chickpea Salad?
Although this is a very simple recipe, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:
- Prepare the vegetables - Wash and deseed the red pepper and slice them. Wash, dry and finely chop the coriander. Peel and slice the cucumbers. If using large European cucumbers, I would suggest you deseed them before slicing. Drain and wash the chickpeas (if using tinned) and place them in a large bowl. Add the vegetables, coriander, chilli and salt into the bowl with chickpeas. Drain and wash the chickpeas (if using tinned) and place them in a large bowl. Add the vegetables, coriander, chilli and salt into the bowl with chickpeas.
- Prepare the dressing - Mix the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and cumin powder in a small bowl and whisk until all combine.
- Dress the salad - Add the dressing to the vegetables. Gently toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve in a large salad bowl or individual salad bowls.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and healthy recipes why not try:
This salad is best when eaten fresh. However, you can cook the chickpeas in advance and keep them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.
This refreshing salad is a complete filling and satisfying meal. However, you can also serve it as an excellent side dish to serve with Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas), Mushroom Pie, Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant) or Keema Naan Bread.
Top Tip From the Chef
You can batch cook dried chickpeas and keep them in the freezer already portioned to use them in salads instead of using canned chickpeas.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this refreshing Indian Chickpea Salad as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad)
Equipment
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (400 g) (washed and drained)
- ½ red bell pepper (sliced)
- ½ red onion (sliced)
- ⅓ cup red cabbage (shredded)
- ½ cup coriander (chopped)
- 1 Persian cucumber (sliced)
- 1 red or green chilli (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
- Drain and wash the chickpeas and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the red peppers, parsley, rocket leaves, currants, and grated carrot to the chickpeas.
- Make a dressing with olive oil. lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a small bowl then add to the salad.
- Gently toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve in a large salad bowl or individual salad bowls.
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Sarah
Amazing dish, great instructions. Yummy yummy
Ayla Clulee
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Best wishes
Ayla
Ayla
Just made this today and it is incredIble!