🥗 Chickpea, Beet & Feta Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

⭐ Overview

Perfect as a light lunch, side dish, or part of a mezze spread. Sweet roasted beets, creamy chickpeas, tangy feta, and herbs come together with a bright Mediterranean dressing.

🧾 Ingredients (serves 3–4)

For the salad

2 medium cooked beets, diced
(roasted or pre-cooked vacuum-sealed)
1 can (15 oz / 400g) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
½ small red onion, finely sliced
½ cucumber, diced (optional)
½ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup chopped parsley or mint (or mix both)
Optional add-ins:
- ¼ cup walnuts or pistachios
- ½ avocado, cubed
- Handful arugula or baby spinach

For the Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp honey (optional)
½ tsp dried oregano
Salt & black pepper to taste

🍳 Instructions

1. Prep the beets

If using raw beets:

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Wrap beets in foil and roast 45–60 min, until tender.
Cool, peel, and dice.

(If using pre-cooked beets, skip this step.)

2. Make the vinaigrette

Whisk together:

olive oil
lemon juice
garlic
Dijon
honey
oregano
salt & pepper

Taste and adjust acidity or sweetness.

3. Assemble the salad

In a large bowl combine:

chickpeas
diced beets
red onion
cucumber (optional)
herbs

Pour the dressing over and toss gently so the beets don’t overly color everything.

4. Add the toppings

Sprinkle with:

feta
nuts (if using)
avocado (optional)

Drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired.

🍽️ To Serve

Chill 20–30 minutes for flavors to deepen.
Serve as a side to grilled chicken, salmon, or falafel.
Great as part of a Mediterranean mezze board.

🔄 Variations

Make it heartier: Add cooked quinoa, farro, or orzo.
Add greens: Toss with arugula for a peppery kick.
Make it vegan: Skip feta or use vegan feta.