Garbanzo Bean Salad is loaded with veggies, dressed in an Italian-inspired vinaigrette, and finished with some herbaceous parsley!

For a similar salad with a slightly different flavor profile, try our Mediterranean-inspired chickpea salad!

Overhead image of Garbanzo Bean Salad in a bowl with serving spoons

Garbanzo Bean Salad

We’re obsessed with this fresh and lively salad! It’s loaded with texture and color, plenty of nutritious ingredients, and also happens to be vegetarian!

But, trust me, you will not miss the meat in this salad. The garbanzo and black beans have loads of protein, making this salad super substantial. Then we pair those beans with good-for-you fats from the avocado and you’ll be amazed just how satiating this salad is. Of course, you can always serve this salad up with a side of protein — chicken, steak, or salmon would all be delicious accompaniments. I’ll share more serving suggestions below along with some details about the dressing and tips for making this salad.

Italian-inspired dressing

The dressing can be made in advance; just be sure to shake it up again before dressing this Garbanzo Bean Salad. We use all the dressing in this salad (it’s a lot, but we love it!), but you may want to use less.

Refrigerate any leftover (or made ahead) dressing. If the dressing separates or hardens in the fridge, don’t be alarmed– olive oil does this at cold temps. Simply set it out at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then shake it vigorously to re-combine.

Process shots-- images of the dressing being made in a Mason jar and mixed together.

Garbanzo Bean Salad Tips

  • Fully ripe avocados are game changers for this salad. A ripe avocado can add an incredible creamy texture and a far superior flavor. You can tell an avocado is ripe by gently pressing near the stem. If the avocado yields to that gentle pressure, it’s ripe and ready to be added to this salad!
  • I recommend Persian (sometimes labeled as mini cucumbers) or English cucumbers. These cucumbers are nearly seedless and very crisp (instead of watery). They have a sweet, mild flavor and a great crunch; they’re the perfect complement to all the other veggies and will keep the salad from getting watered down.
  • Tame the bite of red onion. If you’re sensitive to the flavor of raw red onion, soak the diced onions in ice-cold, salted water for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly before using in this Garbanzo Bean Salad.

Ingredient shot-- images of all the ingredients in a bowl and then dressing being poured over it all.

Garbanzo Bean Salad Tips Continued

  • Make sure to get flat-leaf Italian parsley, as opposed to curly for this recipe. Flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavor and curly parsley is used more commonly as a garnish. Curly parsley won’t add much flavor to this salad.
  • Cut veggies in even sizes throughout this salad.
  • Don’t forget to taste before serving. Depending on the ripeness of veggies and actual ingredients used in the dressing, you may need additional seasoning. Taste the salad a few times before serving and add a touch more salt and/or pepper if the flavors seem at all flat. The flavors in this salad should sing! You may be surprised how much salt this salad needs, but with raw veggies and un-seasoned beans, it benefits greatly from generous seasonings.

Image of the dressing being poured over the Garbanzo Bean Salad

Let’s talk corn

If you have access to fresh corn on the cob, I highly recommend it for this salad. And if not, frozen (thawed) or canned (and well-drained) corn works well too.

If using corn on the cob, you can cut it right off the cob and add it to the salad. We love the flavor and crunch of raw corn in Garbanzo Bean Salad! If you aren’t too sure about raw corn, you could grill it up before adding it to the salad. I go into detail about grilling corn (I promise it’s easy!) in this Elote post.

Up-close overhead image of Garbanzo Bean Salad mixed together and ready to be served.

Garbanzo Bean Salad FAQs

What are garbanzo beans good for?

Garbanzo beans are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They’re also very high in protein which make them a great source for plant-based protein in meatless diets.

What is the difference between chick peas and garbanzo beans?

Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same. The reason they’re sometimes called different names is that “chickpeas” is the English name while “Garbanzo” is the Spanish name for them.

A lot of companies will now label the cans (and bags) by both names to avoid confusion.

Can you eat garbanzo beans raw?

Yes. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to consume the dried beans (you may break a tooth in the process!), but canned garbanzo beans are actually pre-cooked so you can eat them straight out of the can!

I do recommend thoroughly rinsing the canned beans to wash out excess sodium.

What goes well with chickpeas?

Chickpeas pair so nicely with other veggies– which is why this salad is loaded with them! Cucumbers, peppers, fresh herbs — they’ll all pair nicely with these beans.

I also like combining chickpeas with other beans (like the black beans in this salad). Not only does it further increase the protein of the salad, but it also makes for a nice complementary texture and flavor.

What goes well with this Garbanzo Bean Salad?

We love serving Garbanzo Bean Salad with grilled chicken, a grilled flank steak, or these tastyย fish tacos.

It makes a great salad to bring to a potluck (and a refreshing change from the typical mayo-laden potluck salad).

More Delicious Salad Recipes

4.81 from 42 votes

Italian Garbanzo Bean Salad

Thisย Garbanzo Bean Saladย is loaded with veggies, dressed in an Italian-inspired vinaigrette, and finished with some herbaceous parsley!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 as a side

Ingredients 
 

Dressing

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon EACH dried basil, dried oregano, salt
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

Salad

  • 2 cans (15.5 oz. EACH) garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 ears fresh sweet corn (or 1 can corn, drained)
  • 1-1/3 cups chopped English (or Persian/Salad) cucumbers, (~3 Persian/1 English cucumber)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large ripe avocado, peeled and chopped
  • 3/4 cup diced red onion (~1/2 of 1 onion)
  • 1/3 cup finely diced flat-leaf Italian parsley (~1/2 of 1 bunch)
  • Fine sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions 

  • DRESSING: Add all of the ingredients to a Mason jar, place the lid on the jar, and then shake vigorously until ingredients are incorporated. Place in the fridge while you prepare the salad. I like to make this first so it can chill and flavors can intensify.
  • SALAD: Drain and rinse the garbanzo and black beans; shake in a colander to rid of any excess water. Place in a large bowl. Add the corn, the chopped cucumber, diced pepper, chopped avocado, diced red onion, and finely diced parsley.
  • DRESS: Remove the dressing from the fridge and give it a good shake. Pour over the salad (See Note 1) and gently toss to coat. We like to use all the dressing in this salad, but if you'd like a less-dressed bean salad, add less. Season with additional salt and pepper (I add another 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, but add to preference.), tasting often. The amount of salt needed will vary, depending on the freshness/ripeness of ingredients used). Toss salad once more and enjoy.
  • STORAGE: Store salad, avocado, and dressing separately. Combine right before eating a portion. Salad (stored separately) will last 3-4 days in the fridge. The dressing will stay good for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If you want to have leftovers, do not add dressing (or avocado) to that part of the salad as it doesn't store well. Only pour dressing on the salad amount that will be consumed immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 94mg | Potassium: 353mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

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4.81 from 42 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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56 Comments

  1. Jeff says:

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe. Best bean salad I’ve ever made in my long life. Delicious and healthy-tasting. At 3 pounds of beans, it’s enough for everyone for 2 meals at least. Thank you!

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Jeff! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Laura says:

    To add to my previous comment…
    I forgot to mention that this salad is so beautiful and festive.

  3. Laura says:

    5 stars
    Made this salad for a Super Bowl party. It was a huge hit. The combination of the ingrediants and the dressing were so delicious.
    Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe with us.
    Laura

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Laura! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Carolyn Camper says:

    Would like to try this

    1. Chelsea says:

      You need to try this!!

  5. Deborah says:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe for my grandson’s first birthday. It was a huge hit! Leftovers were just as delicious. So…I am making it for a Halloween party this week. Thanks!

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Deborah! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Deborah says:

    5 stars
    I made this for my grandson’s first birthday party, and it was a HIT! I doubled the recipe and also the dressing. We used about 3/4 of the dressing from one container only. I am def making this again! Ps, I did not add avocado, as we traveled 3.5 hours to get there๐Ÿฅ‘

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Deborah! ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Deborah says:

        5 stars
        I am making this again for a Halloween Party on Saturday๐ŸŽƒ

        1. Chelsea says:

          Yay!! I’m so happy you’re enjoying! Thanks Deborah! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Bonnie Moore says:

    5 stars
    Garbanzo Bean Salad was over the top!
    Easy to prepare. I have never seen my son take such a large helping of salad before, you would have thought it was a dog
    bowl! We all enjoyed!
    Thank you!

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Bonnie! ๐Ÿ™‚