This Fennel and Chickpea Salad is tossed in a light citrus vinaigrette & topped with parmesan. It’s the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks or lunches.
You may have guessed by now that I love to cook – Coming home, chopping veggies, and stirring a simmering pot over a hot stove is my way of relaxing after a long day – Just add wine.
But I also have my days where I feel like doing absolutely nothing after work – I just want to eat something simple, crawl into bed, and watch reality TV shows for hours on end. That’s when I scour around in the pantry and fridge for anything that can be thrown together in a few minutes – Last week it was a pint of salted caramel ice cream and a bowl of popcorn (love this popcorn maker).
Some nights it will be a simple bowl of pasta like this – with extra red pepper flakes. But the one easy dinner dish that I always find myself going to is the simplest of all – A can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and tossed with some Italian dressing – Sometimes I’ll even sprinkle on some grated parmesan cheese if I’m feeling fancy. It’s been a long time favorite of mine – even since high school.
This Fennel and Chickpea Salad was inspired by that simple two-minute chickpea dish, but it also adds some crunchy celery and fresh fennel into the mix. It’s a recipe that’s very similar to this Fennel & Celery Salad, but the chickpeas just give it a bit more substance and creaminess. The fennel gives just a hint of licorice flavor and adds a nice, crunchy bite to the salad along with the celery.
I like to make this salad for weekday lunches because, unlike a lettuce-based salad, it stays crunchy all day. It’s also perfect for potlucks because you can make it ahead of time. Or, try serving it on pizza night along with some Aperol Spritz cocktails for a true Italian-inspired night.
More fennel recipes:
- Fresh Linguini with Roasted Fennel
- Fennel & Celery Salad
- Sausage & Fennel Ragout
- Duck & Fennel Cassoulet
Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Fennel & Rice Stuffing
More → 30+ fennel recipes to check out!
Wine pairings for Fennel Salad:
- This salad would pair nicely with a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. The green, mineral flavors make an awesome compliment to the bite of the fennel and the freshness of the celery.
If you loved this Fennel Salad recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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More salad recipes:
- Chickpea Tuna Salad
- Cauliflower Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Quinoa
- Tomato Cucumber Salad
- Cheeseburger Salad with Special Sauce
- 10-Minute Avocado Tuna Salad
Fennel & Chickpea Salad Recipe
Fennel and Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large fennel bulb (very thinly sliced)
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 3 celery stalks (very thinly sliced)
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Toss fennel, chickpeas, celery, and parsley with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2021 to add new photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
This salad looks so healthy and refreshing and gorgeous! I’m inspired to have salad for dinner tonight. 🙂
Thank you Lisa!
The liberal use of parmesan. I approve! Can’t do the chickpeas, though. (Stupid food sensitivity.)
Oohh that’s a bummer Geoff – You can always make this salad without the chickpeas too, or try this Fennel & Celery Salad (it’s very similar).
LOVE fennel, this sounds so good!!
Thanks Sarah – I’m a huge fan of fennel too!
Lots of great textures and a plus that this can be made ahead of time and stay crunchy as a potluck option!
Ooh, fennel can be so crisp and refreshing! Lovely flavor combo!
I’m a huge fan of fennel and am constantly on the lookout for more ways to use it!
I’m cooking lighter and I though my husband would complain! But he loved it and so did I! Refreshing, crunchy, and flavorfull! I held out some of the Parmesan cheese on mine so he had extra on his.
I’m so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it Karla!
I’m on week 4 of an elimination diet and this is a survival dish. I had a fresh pot of white beans (whoopee!) 🙁 and wanted to use a fresh fennel bulb…and some left over chickpeas, lots of flat leaf parsley from the garden, scallions, carrot, red onion and celery.. I would love to sprinkle with feta. Instead I added a few calamari olives. A squirt of fresh lemon juice would be divine! But instead I have some roasted garlic that I expect will find its way into the mix at some point. For non-dieters-add a fresh baguette. This dish will be superb with a nice albacore tuna steak- fresh grilled, very rare, crusted with lemon pepper. If I could, I’d have a baguette with fresh unsalted butter and a roasted garlic smear. . Voila!
Gluten-free, Nightshade-free, nut-free, Soy-free, dairy-free, citrus-free, caffeine-free, (of course I will only dream of the baguette. ) Even a can of good quality albacore tuna in a pinch, but I’m going for the good stuff! This elimination thing has been a real challenge and a very interesting adventure. At least I feel great! Thanks for listening> Bon Appétit. Love your wine pairings! Thank you for your great inspiration!!
This would be amazing with albacore – I love that suggestion Meg! Thank you for the kind words and good luck on the diet!
Oh my goodness is this recipe great! Delicious! I like onions, though, so I added some.
Thank you for posting this salad recipe, I love it.
I’m so happy to hear that Jamie! Thanks for your comment!
This is my favorite salad. I mix the dressing in a glass bowl and add red pepper flakes and lots of garlic to it then pour over the salad and toss well. I also add chopped up artichokes.
Oooh! Love your idea to add artichokes into the mix Celeste!!
Fantastic salad! We loved having a fresh, new side dish to go with our chicken tonight. As a bonus, the fennel came right from our garden. It was delicious. Thank you!
Do you add radishes to this salad? I see them in the photos so was just wondering. Gonna make this salad this week!
Hi Laura – I added in some radishes for a bit of color in the photographs, and they are yummy in the salad, but not required. Sorry to be misleading!