High Protein Chickpea and Feta Salad — 30g Protein, No Cooking

High protein chickpea and feta salad in a bowl with cucumber and tomato
High protein chickpea and feta salad — 30g protein, no cooking, 10 minutes.

This high protein chickpea and feta salad needs no cooking at all: chickpeas, feta, cucumber, tomato and a Greek yogurt dressing, ready in 10 minutes. One bowl has 30g of protein and 420 calories, and it keeps well enough to make on Sunday and eat on Tuesday.

The protein comes from three places at once — chickpeas, feta and the yogurt dressing — so no protein powder is needed and nothing has to be heated. The trick is to rinse the chickpeas properly and season the dressing well, or the salad tastes flat.

Why you’ll love it

  • 30g protein per serving, 420 calories
  • No cooking, 10 minutes, one bowl
  • Vegetarian, and keeps 3 days in the fridge
  • Cheap to make and easy to double for the week

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (400g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
  • Salt and black pepper

Equipment used

  • A large mixing bowl, for tossing the salad
  • A small bowl, for whisking the dressing
  • A sharp knife for dicing the cucumber and tomato

Instructions

  1. Whisk the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
  2. Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomato and red onion to a large bowl.
  3. Pour the dressing over and toss until everything is coated.
  4. Fold in the crumbled feta and chopped parsley. Taste and add more lemon or salt if needed.
  5. Serve straight away, or chill for 30 minutes so the flavours come together.

Tips

  • Rinse the chickpeas well — the liquid from the can makes the salad taste tinny.
  • Add the feta last and fold it in gently, or it breaks up and disappears into the dressing.
  • Chill it for 30 minutes if you have time. The salad tastes noticeably better cold.
  • Double the batch for meal prep: it keeps 3 days in the fridge, dressing and all.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated nutrition per serving

NutrientPer serving
Calories420
Protein30g
Carbohydrates38g
Fat16g

These are estimated macros based on standard ingredient values, not lab-measured results.

FAQ

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Yes — soak and cook them first, then cool them completely before making the salad. Canned chickpeas are faster and work just as well here.

Is it vegan?

Not as written, because of the feta and Greek yogurt. Swap both for a plant-based feta and a dairy-free yogurt and the protein drops by about 6g per serving.

How long does it keep?

Three days in the fridge in a sealed container. Stir before serving — the dressing settles.

High Protein Chickpea and Feta Salad

a5b5c44b1a31494fd8fc8932b5c9c8afSophia Martinez
Chickpeas, feta, cucumber and tomato in a Greek yogurt dressing. 30g protein per serving, no cooking, 10 minutes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4
Calories 420 kcal

Equipment

  • A large mixing bowl for tossing the salad
  • A small bowl for whisking the dressing
  • A sharp knife for dicing the cucumber and tomato

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans (400g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100 g feta cheese crumbled
  • 1 cucumber diced
  • 2 tomatoes diced
  • 1/2 red onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Fresh parsley chopped, to serve
  • Salt and black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Whisk the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
  • Add the chickpeas, cucumber, tomato and red onion to a large bowl.
  • Pour the dressing over and toss until everything is coated.
  • Fold in the crumbled feta and chopped parsley. Taste and add more lemon or salt if needed.
  • Serve straight away, or chill for 30 minutes so the flavours come together.

Notes

Rinse chickpeas well. Fold feta in last. Chill 30 minutes if possible. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Keyword chickpea, feta, high protein, no cook, salad, vegetarian

Kitchen essentials for this recipe

Mercer Culinary Genesis Chef Knife 8 Inch

dices the cucumber and tomato quickly and evenly.

Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set

tosses the salad without staining and goes straight into the fridge.

OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner

dries the rinsed chickpeas and herbs so the dressing sticks instead of sliding off.

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