Description
A vibrant and refreshing Antipasto Chickpea Salad featuring tender chickpeas, tangy marinated vegetables, fresh arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy feta, all tossed in a zesty sherry vinegar dressing. Perfect for a light lunch or as a colorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 5 tbsp oil reserved from sun-dried tomatoes jar (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Salad
- 2 x 400g (14 oz) cans chickpeas, drained
- 3 packed cups baby rocket/arugula leaves, roughly torn into 2.5cm (1″) pieces
- 350g (12 oz) jar roasted red pepper strips, drained and roughly chopped into 2.5cm (1″) pieces
- 200g (7 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped into 1.25 cm (1/2″) pieces
- 1/2 cup sliced black kalamata olives
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato strips in oil, chopped into 1.25 cm (1/2″) pieces (reserve oil for dressing)
- 250g (8 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 200g (7 oz) Danish feta or Greek feta, crumbled
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a jar, combine the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomato jar (or extra virgin olive oil), sherry vinegar, minced garlic, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper. Shake well until ingredients are thoroughly combined and emulsified.
- Toss the salad: Reserve a small amount of chopped coriander/cilantro and crumbled feta for garnish. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained chickpeas, rocket leaves, roasted red pepper strips, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced kalamata olives, sun-dried tomato strips, cherry tomatoes, chopped coriander/cilantro (except reserved), and most of the crumbled feta. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together to coat evenly. The feta will soften and slightly smear into the salad, adding creaminess and flavor.
- Serve: Transfer the tossed salad into a serving dish. Garnish with the reserved crumbled feta and chopped coriander/cilantro leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy this fresh, flavorful antipasto salad.
Notes
- Note 1: If sherry vinegar is unavailable, white wine vinegar can be used as a substitute.
- Note 3: For dried chickpeas, soak overnight and cook until tender before using.
- Note 4: Baby rocket (arugula) adds a peppery bite, but you can substitute with baby spinach or mixed salad greens if preferred.
- The reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes is key to adding depth and richness to the dressing.
- This salad is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored refrigerated for up to one day; however, the greens may wilt over time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Antipasto salad, chickpea salad, vegetarian salad, Italian antipasto, healthy salad, Mediterranean salad, arugula salad, sun-dried tomato salad
