Lemon-Garlic Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-24 · Updated 2026-07-24

A bright, refreshing salad featuring tender chickpeas, crisp cucumbers, and a creamy lemon-garlic tahini dressing. This Middle Eastern-inspired salad recipe (vegetarian, gluten free), ready in about 15 minutes, pairs canned chickpeas, cucumber, cherry tomatoes into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 15 oz (425 g), drained and rinsed canned chickpeas
• 1 medium, diced cucumber
• 1 cup, halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 small, thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine 15 oz drained chickpeas, 1 diced medium cucumber, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.
2. Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.
3. Step 3: Pour the tahini dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
4. Step 4: Let the salad rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow flavors to meld before serving chilled or at room temperature.