Our Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon is a refreshing and updated spin-off of a classic Greek salad. We used traditional ingredients, such as antioxidant-packed red onion, sweet bell pepper, hydrating cucumber and salty feta cheese in our salad. We added fiber-rich chickpeas, fresh herby dill and tangy lemon—all combined with heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil. This is perfect as a dinner side or a light make-ahead lunch. Keep reading for our expert tips on smart ingredient substitutions, serving suggestions and more!

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• Any type of cucumber will work, but English and Persian cucumbers are firm, hold up well in salads, have a thin, tender skin that doesn’t need peeling and contain few seeds.
• We suggest rinsing the chickpeas before using them, which will help remove a lot of the sodium.
• While bottled lemon juice can be convenient, especially when you don’t have a lemon handy, we suggest using a fresh lemon for salads whenever possible. The flavor is brighter, there aren’t any additives and it’s nutritious.
• You can substitute the red bell pepper with another color, but the red is the sweetest. Orange and yellow peppers are slightly less sweet, while green peppers are more bitter. And if you don’t have fresh dill, use parsley, cilantro or chervil as alternatives.

Nutrition Notes

• Cucumbers are hydrating being almost 96% water—this makes them a low-carb vegetable that can be enjoyed with many different dietary patterns. Cucumbers also contain potassium, calcium and magnesium—an excellent vegetable for heart health.
• Chickpeas are a versatile bean that are high in fiber, which is important for maintaining a healthy digestive system and microbiome. Chickpeas are also an excellent source of magnesium—essential for blood pressure and blood sugar control, and it may help you sleep better.
• Red bell peppers are packed with antioxidants, such as vitamin C and beta carotene. Antioxidants help protect your cells from damage and help lower inflammation from everyday stressors, such as pollution, stress and exposure to environmental chemicals.