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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is loaded with flavor from roasted red peppers, mint, and Sumac, and this combination is so delicious! And if you haven’t tried the middle eastern spice called Sumac, get some soon and make this tasty salad that’s vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free!

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Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Mint, and Sumac in serving bowl on striped napkin

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is a tasty meatless salad that’s loaded with flavorful ingredients like roasted red pepper, lemon juice, green onions, fresh and dried mint, and minced garlic. But I’m hoping it’s the word Sumac in the recipe that jumps out at you! I love Sumac and I think it’s the ingredient that makes this chickpea salad an absolute wow!

If you’re not familiar with it, Sumac in is a middle eastern spice made from the dried berry-like fruit of some species of the Sumac plant from that region. And this is an ingredient I’ve been passionate about for a long time! Of course you can make the salad without Sumac, but I highly recommend getting some if you decide to try this salad!

When I spotted the inspiring recipe for this meatless chickpea salad, it felt to me like it was MEANT to have Sumac (affiliate link), and I loved how it spiced up the chickpeas and the dressing. I also used some dried mint in the dressing, plus fresh mint in the salad but if you don’t have dried mint this salad will still be delicious without it. I hope you try the recipe if you’re someone who enjoys dried bean salads!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

More about Sumac:

I’m a long-time fan of Sumac, which is a reddish-purple ground spice that’s commonly used in middle eastern cooking. It has a lemony flavor that’s good on so many foods and I’ve used Sumac on hummus, in salad dressing, and even on Cauliflower Rice. Sumac is often used on dishes with garbanzo beans, and it adds amazing flavor to this salad.

How did I start to love salads with Sumac?

I had known about Sumac for years when a reader sent me a great recipe for Fattoush and I learned the trick of mixing Sumac into the dressing for a flavor boost that’s really delightful, and I’ve been using it that way ever since. Then I went to Istanbul and met Zerrin, and she gave me some wonderfully fresh Sumac from Turkey. Now I am even more of a confirmed fan of this tasty spice!

What gives this chickpea salad the Mediterranean flavors?

Besides the use of Sumac, this salad is loaded with other flavors used in Mediterranean cooking like olive oil, roasted red peppers, mint, garlic, and lemon.

How to make Mediterranean Chickpea Salad lower in carbs:

As written this chickpea salad has 21 net carbs per serving, which I know is too many carbs for some of my readers. To make a version with fewer carbs, add more low-carb red peppers to the salad, or add some other low-carb ingredients like black olives, diced and briefly sauteed zucchini, or chopped fresh spinach. I would slightly increase the amounts for the dressing if you add something to reduce the carbs.

Want more recipes using fresh mint?

Fresh mint is the other ingredient that makes this salad such a wow for me. If you have mint growing in your garden or you’re getting it from the market, check out my ideas for Cooking with Fresh Mint.

Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Mint, and Sumac process shots collage

How to make Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.

  1. First, here’s a picture of the Sumac (affiliate link) that adds so much flavor to this salad.
  2. Saute the rinsed and drained chickpeas in olive oil, with a teaspoon of Sumac stirred in.
  3. Whisk together lemon juice, ground Sumac, dried mint (If using), salt, finely minced garlic, and olive oil to make the dressing.
  4. When the chickpeas are nicely browned, put them in a bowl, pour dressing over, and let them marinate in the dressing while you prep other ingredients.
  5. Chop up the drained red peppers and mint and slice the green onion (or chop red onion).
  6. When chickpeas are cooled to room temperature, mix in the red pepper, mint, and green onion and season salad with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  7. This chickpea salad can be refrigerated before you serve it, and it will keep for a day or two in the fridge, although I like it best when it’s freshly made.

Make it a Vegetarian Meal:

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad would be amazing for a meatless meal with any of these other vegetarian recipes:

Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Mint, and Sumac close-up photo

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe for chickpea salad with Mediterranean flavors has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Mint, and Sumac close-up photo
Yield: About 6 servings

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with red pepper, mint, and Sumac is a good reason to try the middle eastern spice called Sumac if you haven't had it. And this tasty vegan salad is gluten-free and dairy-free and it's so delicious!

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • two 15.5 oz. cans chickpeas (see notes)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 tsp. ground Sumac (see note)
  • 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained (or use 3 red peppers and roast them yourself - see note)
  • 1/2 cup - 1 cup chopped fresh mint (more or less, to taste)
  • 3 T sliced green onions (see notes)

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. ground Sumac (see note)
  • 1 tsp. dried mint (optional but good)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. finely minced garlic
  • 3 T extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Put chickpeas into a colander placed in the sink and rinse with cold water until no more foam appears.
  2. Let chickpeas drain well, or pat dry with a paper towel if you want to speed it up a bit.
  3. Heat 1 T olive oil in a large frying pan, add drained chickpeas, sprinkle with 1 tsp. ground Sumac (affiliate link), and saute chickpeas until they are lightly browned.
  4. This will take about 10 minutes, turning the chickpeas several times so they get browned on all sides.
  5. While chickpeas are cooking, put roasted red peppers into a colander and let them drain well.
  6. Whisk together the lemon juice, ground Sumac, dried mint (If using), salt, finely minced garlic, and olive oil to make the dressing.
  7. When chickpeas are nicely browned, put then in a bowl and combine with about half the dressing.
  8. Let the chickpeas marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
  9. Wash mint, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and chop.
  10. When red peppers are well drained, chop them into small bite-sized pieces.
  11. Thinly slice the green onion.
  12. When chickpeas have cooled to almost room temperature, combine them with the diced roasted red pepper, chopped mint, and capers in a medium-sized salad bowl.
  13. Stir in enough dressing to lightly moisten all ingredients.
  14. The Mediterranean Chickpea Salad can be served immediately, or it can marinate all day or even overnight in the fridge.

Notes

You can use about 4 cups freshly cooked chickpeas if you prefer.

If you don't have Sumac (affiliate link), you could substitute Za'atar Spice Mix (affiliate link) if you have that. 

Use my method for roasting your own red peppers if you want to use fresh peppers instead. Use chopped red onion if you don't have green onions.

This recipe adapted from Spanish Chickpea Salad at The Taste Space.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 251Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 0mgSodium 131mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Salads
Square image of Mediterranean Chickpea Salad shown in serving bowl.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is too high in carbs to be suitable for strict low-carb diets, but see tips in the post for making a version that’s lower in carbs. Everything in this salad would be approved for the original South Beach Diet, but dried beans are limited to 1/3 – 1/2 cup serving for Phase One and I would definitely serve this as a side dish salad for South Beach if you’re actively trying to lose weight.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad recipe was posted in 2011 when I was just starting to learn about Sumac. It was last updated with more information in 2025.

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