Easy Chickpea Caprese Salad
Updated. Originally 20th August 2018
This delicious nourishing chickpea Caprese Salad is a staple simple quick summer recipe for us. Loaded with juicy tomatoes, slightly sweet soft mini mozzarella and tender nutty chickpeas with that signature tangy sweet garlicky basil balsamic dressing. Summer in a bowl! We love to meal prep this for a dense bean salad that you can add to and amp up to suit a light meal (lunches and dinners) or a perfect summer side that is great for BBQ’s, picnics and potlucks cause it holds up great and gets better as it sits/ marinates.
Chickpea Caprese Salad Recipe Ingredients
- TOMATOES: We love to use cherry or grape tomatoes for this recipe - grape tomatoes hold up better than cherry so keep that in mind if you are making this ahead. You can use other varieties too just make sure to chop them up in to bite size pieces.
- CHICKPEAS: We use caned chickpeas for ease and convenience but we also love to cook our own from dried beans. You will need 3 cups cooked chickpeas which is from approximately 1 cup of dried beans. Soak dried beans overnight, drain, rinse then simmer in large pot of water until tender.
- CHEESE: The classic cheese in a Caprese salad is fresh mozzarella. You could use larger ones and tear or chop into bite size pieces but we like to use pearl Bocconcini which are small, bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. Other cheese options are feta cheese or goat cheese too.
- FRESH HERBS: The classic fresh herb to use here is basil - its completes the Caprese trio. Of course you can use any other fresh herbs or herb combo in its place.
- OLIVE OIL: We use extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.
- BALSAMIC VINEGAR: The classic American version uses dark balsamic or balsamic glaze but we are using white balsamic vinegar here so that the cheese doesn’t get brown - its just for the aesthetic - so you can use either if you aren’t bothered by the cheese picking up the colour of the dark balsamic.
- GARLIC: The perfect flavor for the dressing - feel free to add in some minced shallot or red onion for more flavor.
- HONEY & MUSTARD: These are optional add ins for a flavor boost and also help emulsify the dressing.
How to Make Chickpea Caprese Salad:
- Simply CHOP up all your veggies and place in a bowl along with the cheese, basil and chickpeas.
- WHISK together your dressing/vinaigrette ingredients
- Drizzle dressing over salad and then gently toss to COMBINE.
- SERVE immediately or best to chill 1-2 hours for flavor to meld.
Chickpea Caprese Salad Recipe Variations
This salad is a great one to play with. It’s so versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to change it up:
- Want a spicy kick to it? Slice up a chili and add it to the dressing for a little heat/ spice or add some chili flakes.
- Add a little crunch with a handful of toasted walnuts, cashews, almonds or pine nuts.
- Make this salad a full meal by serving it on a bed of arugula, baby kale or baby spinach with some quinoa or wild rice mixed in.
- Add protein - sliced or chopped grilled chicken or shrimp. You could even add in a can of tuna or salmon
- Try adding chopped avocado for a creamy component
- Try adding extra veggies like chopped cucumbers, celery or bell peppers for more crunch
- Add in some olives, capers or chopped pepperoncini for more briny flavor.
Serve This Chickpea Caprese Salad:
- Serve over crusty bread, grilled bread or crostini for an open-face chickpea salad sandwich.
- Serve as a dip with crackers for a tasty appetizer.
- Serve over pasta in place of pasta sauce.
- Serve as a side dish with anything off the grill, pan seared or roasted.
- Serve on top of Greek yogurt for a savory yogurt parfait / sauce or better yet over whipped feta, whipped ricotta, whipped goat cheese or even tzatziki for a chickpea Caprese dip
- Serve as a condiment for sandwiches or wraps
Caprese Chickpea Salad Storage & Make Ahead
- STORAGE: This salad is best eaten with 2-3 days – store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
- MAKE AHEAD: This salad is the ultimate make-ahead dish! As it sits, the hearty chickpeas act like a sponge, soaking up the olive oil, vinegar, and garlicky juices. The flavors meld, get stronger, and the tomatoes soften slightly, creating a richer, much more cohesive taste. If you have the time to make this ahead and let this marinate in the fridge for an hour or two, the flavors will have more time to meld and get stronger.
More Cooling Simple Fresh Summer Salads You Will Love:
Recipe
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 (15 oz) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 2 cups assorted colourful cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 200g container, mini fresh mozzarella balls or pearl bocconcini (we like to double the amount sometimes)
- ½ cup of packed fresh basil leaves, rough chopped or thin ribbons (chiffonade)
For the Balsamic Dressing
- ½ cup Olive oil
- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar ( I prefer white balsamic because it doesn’t turn the bocconcini brown but either is fine)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, optional
- 1 teaspoon honey, (optional for extra sweetness)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 clove of garlic grated or minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
- To a large bowl add the chickpeas, tomatoes, cheese, and basil.
- In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette’s ingredients and pour over salad and gently toss to combine
- Serve immediately of chill for 1-2 hours for flavors to meld and deepen.
Recipe Note
- We like to make a lot of dressing for this salad (we dip our bread into it - its so good) but if you would like to scale it back, you can by using only 3 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic. Same goes for the fresh basil we just love it so we pack it in but feel free to start with half the amount and add more to taste.
