Mediterranean Chickpea Salad {Salada de Grao de Bico}
Salada de Grao de Bico is a delicious Mediterranean chickpea salad made with garbanzo beans, bell peppers, onions, garlic, and parsley which are tossed with oil and vinegar. This salad is amazing and is a perfect addition to any potluck!
Salada de Grao de Bico, which translates to chickpea salad, is one of those Portuguese recipes that everyone’s family makes just a little bit different.
It is a simple chickpea salad, kind of similar to cowboy caviar or our easy three bean salad. It’s tossed with herbs, vegetables, and dressed with a mixture of oil and vinegar.
I throw this salad together and keep it in my refrigerator for easy lunches during the week so I decided that today I’m going to share my version of this Mediterranean chickpea salad with you.
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chickpeas – You can use dried or canned for this recipe.
- Onion – We recommend a yellow onion for this dish, but you can use red onion if you wish.
- Bell pepper – Red bell peppers go best with this recipe, but you can use any pepper you would like.
- Garlic – You can never have too much garlic!
- Parsley – We recommend finely chopped fresh parsley for this instead of dried.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil gives this dish the perfect flavor.
- Red wine Vinegar – The strong flavor profile of red wine vinegar is excellent for all kinds of salads.
- Salt and pepper – You will add as much kosher salt and black pepper as you wish.
If you wish to add your own spin to this salad try adding English cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, avocados, feta cheese, or any veggies you desire.
How to Make Chickpea Salad
Step 1 – Drain, dice, and mince. Drain and rinse your chickpeas (if using canned), dice your bell peppers and onions, and finely mince garlic and parsley.
Step 2 – Mix salad. In a large bowl, add drained and rinsed chickpeas, diced onions, diced red bell peppers, finely minced garlic, and finely minced parsley.
Step 3 – Make dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Step three – Toss. Pour the oil and vinegar over the ingredients in the bowl and toss them together until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4 – Serve. Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.
This is one of many Portuguese recipes that my family makes. If you love it as much as I do make sure to check out these as well, Caldo Verde, Portuguese Rice Pudding {Arroz Doce}, Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}, Portuguese Chocolate Salami {Salame de Chocolate}
Yes! I always use canned chickpeas for this salad to keep it super quick and easy. Just open up a can of chickpeas and rinse them really well before adding them with your other ingredients.
Of course, you can always use dried chickpeas if you prefer. You’ll need to cook them as instructed before adding them to this salad.
This can be a side dish or a main course! To make it a main course, simply add some canned tuna or cooked, shredded or diced chicken!
This salad makes a great side dish to take to summer parties and potlucks. It’s delicious and something different than the same old same old.
Serve it alongside grilled meats at the family BBQ or with some chicken or fish for an easy weeknight dinner!
Try is as an addition to Portuguese style baked rockfish , citrus marinated grilled shrimp, or tandoori grilled lamb chops .
Are Chickpeas Healthy?
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, is not only fun to say but an excellent source of protein. It is known as a ‘complete protein’ because they contain all 9 essential amino acids. This makes them perfect if you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or just want a little extra protein in your diet!
How to Store It
Make the bean salad according to the instructions and store it in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can You Freeze Chickpea Salad?
Yes! This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time and freeze so that you can have it for an easy lunch or dinner any time you want.
Make according to instructions and then place in an airtight container or in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. It can be stored for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to use it, remove from freezer and place in fridge for 24-48 hours and let thaw completely before serving.
Looking for more salad recipes?
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Easy Cowboy Caviar
- Classic Three Bean Salad Recipe
- Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
- Panzanella Salad {Italian Bread Salad}
- Easy Cucumber and Tomatoes Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- More Salad Recipes…
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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad {Salada de Grao de Bico}
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl toss together chickpeas, onion, bell pepper, garlic and parsley.
- In a small bowl whisk together oil and vinegar.
- Dress salad with oil and vinegar and toss ingredients to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Thanks for the portuguese chickpea salad.