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It’s officially summer, and nothing says summer, more than a big fat salad that’s served chilled. It’s Greek chickpea salad time, my friends!!!
Much like my Italian pasta salad with salami, this Greek chickpea salad is packed with veggies, can be made in advance, and is super easy to make.
You’ve got the tender, meaty chickpeas along with the crunchy cucumbers, some artichoke hearts, crunchy red onion, black olives, and kalamata olives, juicy grape tomatoes, plenty of feta cheese for tang, a bell pepper, and sweet juicy shrimp for an easy protein. All of that is marinated in an easy red wine vinaigrette that is loaded with Greek seasoning – the veggies get kind of pickled, and the shrimp really does a nice job of soaking in all the flavors of the dressing.
It’s refreshing, filling, and healthy.
It can be served as an entrée salad, making it perfect for picnics, packed lunches, and parties. However, it would be a great salad to serve as a side. You can easily omit the shrimp, or leave it in and serve it alongside your other goodies. It’s up to you.
Best part, is this salad is so easy to make – 30 minutes of hands on time, and you’re done. A lot of dumping things from a can, along with minimal chopping. And, the only cooking required, is a very quick blanch of the shrimp.
There are several similarities to my Italian pasta salad, and this Greek chickpea salad, such as, cucumbers, olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, olives, and a red wine vinaigrette. But, trust me when I tell you that the two salads are nothing alike in flavor profiles. The Italian pasta salad has plenty of Italian flavors going on with the salami, and the parmesan cheese, and the mozzarella cheese. Whereas this Greek chickpea salad has the feta cheese, and Greek seasoning in the dressing along with both black and kalamata olives. Not to mention, that the chickpeas, versus the pasta are the two big differences.
It just depends on what kind of cold salad you’re interested in.
The answer is, both, IMO.
Ingredients for Greek chickpea salad with shrimp
As always, the ingredients are listed in the recipe card below, along with their measurements. Let’s discuss them here, real quick.
Greek dressing
- red wine vinegar – for the lovely tang that flavors and everything in this salad.
- extra virgin olive oil – for a nice rich, fruity dressing.
- Greek seasoning – loaded with basil, garlic powder, cinnamon, onion powder, oregano etc. So much flavor!
- kosher salt – to season the entire salad.
- garlic – always love garlic in a vinaigrette for flavor.
- Dijon mustard – for a rich tangy flavor that I love in my dressings.
- honey – to round things out, just a touch.
Greek chickpea salad
- shrimp – peeled, and deveined. You can use either fresh/thawed shrimp, or frozen shrimp. I included the directions for both options in the recipe card below.
- chickpeas – for those meaty, tender balls of deliciousness that really bulks up this salad.
- mini cucumbers – love that cooling crunch. I like the mini cucumbers here, since they are extra crunchy, and don’t get soggy.
- sweet bell pepper – red, yellow, or orange. Adds a nice crunch.
- cherry or grape tomatoes – because what’s a Greek inspired salad without juicy tomatoes?
- red onion – for a nice onion-y flavor. The onion does mellow out as it sits in the dressing, btw.
- kalamata olives – for a nice salty, rich bite.
- black olives – because why only have one kind of olive, when you can have two?!
- canned artichoke hearts – can’t get enough of those tangy little guys. They go perfect in this salad.
- feta cheese – for that creamy, salty, umami flavor that really makes me feel all the Greek vibes. Make sure to get a block and crumble it yourself, so much more flavor than the pre-crumbled stuff.
Optional garnishes
- fresh herbs such as, dill oregano, or parsley – for a fresh, herby flavor.
- extra feta cheese – always.
How to make Greek chickpea salad with shrimp
Of course, more detailed directions are listed in the recipe card below, but I like to give you a preview here.
- Boil water – for cooking the shrimp.
- Make the Greek dressing – Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare the ice bath – for the shrimp. This stops the shrimp from cooking, and makes them nice and crispy, and plump.
- Cook the shrimp – Give the shrimpies a quick hot water bath, just until they turn pink and curl up on themselves. You won’t believe how fast they go!!!
- Allow the shrimp to cool – let them chill out in the ice bath for a little while. This stops the cooking, and helps them firm up.
- Chop the veggies – Add all the veggies into the bowl with the dressing. Some are so easy, all you have to do is open a can, drain, and dump them in.
- Drain the shrimp – buy, buy ice bath.
- Toss – Toss everything together until they are happily married.
- Chill – you can eat the salad right away, but I recommend chilling it for at least 2 hours, up to 6 hours, when possible. Because cold salads in the summer, are the best!
- To serve – Garnish with extra feta cheese, and fresh herbs, if desired…and dig in!
That’s it.
I’m all about the easy button for summertime cooking!
Can I omit the shrimp?
Yes.
You can easily omit the shrimp to make the salad more side-salad-friendly.
Can I make this salad vegan?
Yes.
Simply omit the shrimp, and the feta cheese.
You could add more chickpeas in to compensate for the protein, and help bulk it up more.
You could also try swapping the feta cheese for capers. They will add a similar salty, brine-y flavor.
Is Greek chickpea salad salad gluten free?
Yes. It is naturally gluten free, making it perfect for sharing at parties.
Yay!
Is Greek chickpea salad with shrimp healthy?
Yes.
It is loaded with veggies, and fiber from the chickpeas. It has a nice lean protein from the shrimp, and the chickpeas. And, it has healthy plenty of fats from the extra virgin olive oil, and the olives.
Trust me, it’s plenty satisfying as an entrée salad.
Is this Greek chickpea salad authentically Greek?
Maybe? I haven’t been to Greece, so I am not sure if they eat salads exactly like this.
But, it is Greek inspired.
When I think of Greek food, I think of seafood, fresh veggies: tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, artichokes, and of course lots of olives. Feta cheese is a well known Greek style cheese. When combined, I think we’ve got a pretty tasty salad Greek vibin’ salad.
Does Greek chickpea salad with shrimp make good leftovers?
YES!!!
That’s what I love about this salad. It actually gets better as it chills in that tangy vinaigrette too.
So, it’s great for making in advance for meal-prep, or for serving to guests, or bringing to pot-lucks. So many opportunities to enjoy this salad!
One thing to note: is the tomatoes do get a little soggy as they sit in the salad (after day one). My husband didn’t mind this, but it wasn’t my favorite. You could easily add the tomatoes just before serving each time, if you don’t want soggy tomatoes.
Otherwise, party on!
Reasons you will love this chickpea Greek salad with shrimp:
- It’s loaded with flavor,
- between the crunchy veggies,
- the meaty chickpeas,
- the sweet, juicy shrimp,
- the salty olives,
- the brine-y feta cheese,
- and the tangy red wine vinaigrette – there is nothing boring about this salad.
- It’s easy to make – 30 minutes of hands on time.
- It’s great leftover,
- making it perfect for meal-prep,
- or for bringing to pot-lucks.
- It’s refreshing.
- It’s healthy.
- It’s satisfying.
- It’s versatile,
- and customizable.
- It’s summertime in a bowl!
More Easy salad recipes
- kale Thai salad with peanut dressing
- chicken Caesar salad
- Italian pasta salad with salami
- classic creamy coleslaw
- Marinated 3 bean salad
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know how it went. Leave a comment below, along with a star rating. I always love hearing from you, thanks.
Print
Greek Chickpea Salad with Shrimp
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- recommended chill time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 1 to 3 mins
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6 to 8 (as a meal) 1x
- Category: salads, fish/seafood, easyhealthy, entree, side
- Method: chopping, boiling
- Cuisine: gluten free, egg free, nut free, healthy, vegetarian, dairy free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Easy Greek chickpea salad with shrimp is perfect for summertime meal-prep, or bringing to pot-lucks. It’s bursting with a variety of veggies, and sweet shrimp, all with a tangy red wine vinaigrette. So good!
Ingredients
Greek Dressing
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (See notes)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
Shrimp
- 1 pound peeled, and deveined shrimp (can be cooked from frozen, or defrosted – see directions)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Salad
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or, 4 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 3 mini cucumbers, sliced (or, 1 English cucumber)
- 1 sweet bell pepper, chopped (could use red, yellow, or orange)
- 10 ounces cherry, or grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced in half
- 4 ounce can sliced black olives, drained (could sub with more kalamata olives, if preferred)
- 15 ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, or cubed (see notes)
Optional Garnishes
- Fresh herbs such as: dill, oregano, parsley
- Extra feta cheese, freshly crumbled
Instructions
- Boil water: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil to cook the shrimp. Have your shrimp ready to go. You can either use frozen shrimp, or fresh shrimp/frozen shrimp that’s been deforested – just make sure they’re shelled, and de-veined.
- Make the Greek dressing: While the water is coming to a boil grab a large mixing bowl. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the Greek dressing – the red wine vinegar, olive oil, Greek seasoning, kosher salt, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey – until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed, keeping in mind that this dressing is supposed to be on the tangier side. Remember to keep an eye on the pot of water coming to a boil while you’re making your dressing.
- Prepare the ice bath: Once the water has almost come to a boil, add 2 cups of ice to a medium sized mixing bowl, then, fill up the bowl with cold water. This will stop the cooking of the shrimp, and allow it to cool.
- Cook the shrimp: Meanwhile, once the water for the shrimp has reached a boil, add the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the pot of water. Then, add the shrimp, giving it a stir. If your shrimp is frozen, cook it for 3 minutes, or until it curls up in on itself, and turns pink. If it’s not frozen, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the shrimp curls up and turns pink – this happens fast with fresh shrimp, so don’t walk away. Once the shrimp has cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the ice bath.
- Allow the shrimp to cool: Allow the shrimp to cool in the ice batch for 5 minutes, this allows the shrimp to stop cooking completely, and it helps to firm it up giving it a nice texture. Don’t skip.
- Chop the veggies: While the shrimp is chilling in it’s ice bath. Chop all the veggies as instructed above, and add them to the bowl with the Greek dressing – including the drained and rinsed chickpeas, kalamata olives, black olives, artichoke hearts, and crumbled feta cheese.
- Drain the shrimp: Once 5 minutes are up, drain the shrimp from it’s ice bath – removing any pieces of ice that didn’t melt. Add the shrimp to the mixing bowl along with the veggies.
- Toss: Gently toss everything together using tongs or two salad forks, until everything is coated in the dressing.
- Chill: You can serve this salad right away, but it is best when it has chilled for at least two hours, or up to 6 hours. This makes it a great salad for meal prep, or serving at parties.
- To serve: Give the salad another toss, especially if it has chilled in the fridge, and portion out into serving bowls – or, transfer to one large serving bowl for people to help themselves. I like to top the salad with extra crumbled feta cheese, and fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, and/or oregano. See notes for leftovers.
Notes
Greek seasoning – You can use store bought Greek seasoning – make sure it’s unsalted. I love to make my own Greek seasoning, I always have it on hand. I use this Greek seasoning recipe, from Inspired Eats.
Feta cheese – I recommend getting a block of feta cheese and crumbling it yourself, when possible. It has so much more flavor than the pre-crumbled stuff.
vegetarian option – omit the shrimp and just rely on the chickpeas as your source of protein. If you want, you could even add a third can of chickpeas.
Dairy free option – omit the feta cheese. Try adding some capers to replace that tangy, salty bite.
Side option – if you want to serve this as a side salad instead of an entrée salad, simply omit the shrimp.
Leftovers/meal prep – This salad is great leftover, it lasts in the fridge for up to 3 days. The veggies get sort of “pickled” in the dressing, yum. However, the tomatoes do get a little soft and mushy. This didn’t bother my husband, but it wasn’t my favorite. If you’re making this a few days in advance, or using it as a meal prep salad, you can easily leave the tomatoes out until just before serving, if you don’t want them getting soggy. Either way, it’s really good leftover.
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