Chickpea Spinach Salad (15 Minute Recipe)

Mediterranean Chickpea Spinach Salad is a Greek-inspired vegan recipe featuring carrots and Kalamata olives in a light dressing. This colorful flavorful dish is easy to make with only 6 ingredients in about 15 minutes!

Jump to:

• Easy chickpea salads
• Are chickpeas good for you?
• Simple ingredients
• Kalamata olives
• How to shred carrots
• Making the salad
• 📋 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Easy chickpea salads

Some of my favorite salad recipes feature garbanzo beans. It's so easy to open a can and add this versatile legume to quick and healthy dishes.

In fact, I could eat some form of chickpea salad practically every day, especially for lunch. Some of my go-tos include Mango Chickpea Salad, Chickpea Cucumber Salad, and Vegan Tuna Salad. I'm sure you're sensing a theme here.

And I really love Chickpea Spinach Salad. You only need a few ingredients to make it, and it comes together in a matter of minutes.

Are chickpeas good for you?

Garbanzo beans, which are a pulse, are a good source of fiber, protein, and important nutrients. According to pulses.org, eating a diet rich in pulses can:

• Help maintain a healthy body weight
• Reduce post-meal "crashes"
• Reduce the risk of chronic diseases
• Help maintain heart health
• Contribute to gut health

And chickpeas are a healthy part of a vegan Mediterranean Diet. If you're not used to eating them, this salad is a great easy recipe to start with.

Simple ingredients

As mentioned, you only need 6 ingredients to make this salad: spinach, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), carrots, Kalamata olives, olive oil, and lemon. In addition, you may want some salt and pepper for seasoning.

Kalamata olives

I like to think of Chickpea Spinach Salad as being Greek-inspired since the dressing is made with lemon juice and olive oil. Plus one of the main components is Kalamata olives.

These olives are one of my favorites, although I admit I've never met an olive I didn't like. The soft dark brown olives are from a southern town on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece called Kalamata.

Not only do olives add a lot of flavor, they are a healthy fat. Check out Why Kalamata Olives are one of the healthiest foods on earth to learn more.

How to shred carrots

One of the ingredients in Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is shredded carrots. As I mention in the recipe for Moroccan Carrot Salad, there are three main ways to prepare the carrots:

1. Use a box grater.
2. Use a food processor.
3. Buy pre-shredded carrots at the supermarket.

I typically choose the second option, but feel free to do whichever works best for you.

Making the salad

As you can probably imagine, this recipe is very easy to make. First add the chickpeas, carrots, spinach, and olives to a large salad bowl.

Then mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar to make the dressing. Pour the dressing over and salad and toss well to coat. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper, as needed, and serve.

Chickpea Spinach Salad tastes best served immediately. If making it in advance, I recommend keeping the dressing separate from the salad until you're ready to eat. Otherwise the spinach will get soggy.

This recipe makes 2 servings as a light meal. Or if you make it as a starter, 4 people can enjoy it.

It's delicious with other simple Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as Roasted Vegetable Pasta, Zucchini Stew with Potatoes, and Sourdough Panzanella Bread Salad.

And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

And be sure to check out my best-selling Vegan Mix & Match Salads eBook Cookbook!

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

📋 Recipe