Everyone needs a simple, flavor-packed recipe that's both affordable and quick to make. This marinated chickpea recipe is just that. Olive oil, vinegar, garlic, green onions, and plenty of fresh parsley come together with chickpeas in a recipe that takes less than 15 minutes.
Key Ingredients and Substitutes
Marinated chickpea recipes typically call for alliums, herbs, olive oil, and a source of acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. Some versions also include vegetables, cheese, or spices.
- Chickpeas are pulses. Like other pulses, they're a good source of fiber, folate, and several minerals (1). Researchers have also examined chickpeas' role in supporting heart, gut, and metabolic health (2).
- Alliums are members of the onion family, and they can give marinated chickpeas and other recipes a sharp, onion-like note. In this recipe, you'll use shallot, garlic, and green onions. Alliums are typically rich in antioxidants and help support heart and metabolic health. Herbalists traditionally use garlic and other alliums to support the immune system.
- Parsley provides a verdant, clean note to the chickpeas. It's rich in antioxidants, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, potassium, and calcium (3).
- Gochugaru is a Korean-style chili powder used in kimchi. It has a smoky, sweet flavor and a mild to moderate heat level. Crushed red pepper is an acceptable substitute.
- Extra virgin olive oil is the foundation for the marinade. Rich in healthy monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, olive oil gives an otherwise light dish a little staying power.
- Red wine vinegar lends acidity to the chickpeas. The sharpness of vinegar helps balance the earthy quality of the chickpeas.
Tips for Marinating Chickpeas
Making marinated chickpeas is easy, and it only takes about 5 minutes of chopping and mixing. Then you simply let the chickpeas marinate in the herby vinaigrette which allows them to soak up all the flavor from the garlic, shallots, parsley, olive oil, and vinegar.
Still, there are a few things to keep in mind when making the recipe.
- Rinse the chickpeas very well. The starchy liquid from jarred chickpeas (also called aquafaba) can cause digestive discomfort in some people. If you're not careful, any remaining aquafaba can dampen the flavor of the vinaigrette and shorten the dish's shelflife.
- Chop everything very finely. Tiny bits of parsley, shallots, garlic, and green onions lend more flavor and more uniform flavor to the chickpeas.
- Stir gently. Cooked chickpeas can break apart fairly easily. So you don't end up with a chickpea mash, stir gently - just enough to incorporate the herbs and other ingredients thoroughly.
- It's better the next day. While you can eat the marinated chickpeas right away if you like, prep them ahead and plan to serve them the next day. All that time soaking up the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and herbs means more flavor.
- Serve marinated chickpeas at room temperature. Cold temperatures tend to dampen flavor and make pulses a bit chalky. Serve this recipe at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
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Variations
Try making marinated beans instead. Just swap in kidney beans, lima beans, or another bean of your choice.
Swap in crushed red chili flakes for the gochugaru. Gochugaru is a Korean-style chili powder with a moderate heat and sweet, smoky flavor. And it's just about perfect for this recipe. If you don't have any, swap in about ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
Try lemon juice instead of vinegar. Lemon provides a nice acidity that helps to balance the starchy, earthy quality of chickpeas and other pulses. Try dicing up a preserved lemon for an even bigger boost of flavor.
Mix up the herbs. While this version of marinated chickpeas calls for plenty of flat-leaf parsley, other herbs work well, too. Try fresh dill, thyme, or even a little chopped basil or mint.
Red onion is a perfect stand-in for the shallot. If you don't happen to have shallots, you can swap in finely chopped red onion. About ¼ cup works well as a substitute for the shallot.
For a more substantial dish, consider adding kalamata olives or diced red bell pepper. You can even add a little canned tuna for extra protein, like in this chickpea tuna salad.
Recipe Questions
Yes. This recipe calls for about 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, which is equivalent to about ¾ cup dry chickpeas.
Marinated chickpeas will keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for about 5 days.
No, this salad doesn't freeze well.
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References
- Chickpeas. Nutritiondata.org (2022)
- Jukanti AK, Gaur PM, Gowda CL, Chibbar RN. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a review. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 1:S11-26.
- Parsley. Nutritiondata.org. (2022)
Suzanne Bennett says
I made this dish today and it was so delicious. I doubled the chickpeas and I used pureed preserved lemon and it was a wonderful replacement. Definitely recommend this dish my mom used it with Italian bread and soaked up the vinaigrette and I used it over an existing chickpea and orzo pasta and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing
Jenny says
I absolutely love the idea of using preserved lemon paste in this! So glad you liked the recipe.
Gina says
SO very good !
Melisa says
This is a delicious salad! I had some frozen chickpeas that I had previously cooked and used those. I didn't have the Korean red pepper flakes, so I used regular. I also added a bit more salt to taste. I will be making this salad a lot. Thank you for a great recipe.
Brushjl says
I'm a fan of all the ingredients, but this didn't work for me. Dried chickpeas definitely are the way to go, but it was just a bit too intense. A little goes a long way.
Robyn says
I've made this twice and am getting ready for a third round. I've used gochujang paste instead of the gochugaru powder because it's what I had on hand... it's such a delicious dish!! I plan on adding some preserved lemon next time. Definitely a keeper for any chickpea lover like me!
fodguru says
I appreciate recipes that are as flavorful as they are quick to prepare.
Joh says
Healthy nutrition for chickpea lovers forever and ever
George says
Very good recipe!
Joan says
Too much onion. I love the blueberry, the information. Look forward to your email and enjoy most of your recipes.
Franco Dunn says
Use as much as YOU want. Simp)e.
Lani Thermos says
I have always used dried chickpeas as they cook fairly quickly even without soaking, and the taste difference between them and the ones that are canned is like day and night.
Mate Mate TW says
Too yummy and tasty. I think everyone should try this at home as it is good for health too.