No-Cook Mediterranean Chickpea Pita Pockets with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
No stove or fire needed. Whisk garlic, lemon and oregano into yogurt, toss canned chickpeas with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, olives and feta, then let the salad rest 10 minutes. Stuff it into pita with the sauce. Total time is about 25 minutes.
This is a dinner for the days when you pull into camp late, tired and not in the mood for a fire. Everything comes from cans, jars and the cooler. You chop, stir and eat.
The chickpeas soak up the lemon and oregano while you set up the table. A cool garlic yogurt sauce ties it together. It's filling, bright, and leaves you with almost nothing to wash.
No-Cook Mediterranean Chickpea Pita Pockets with Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- Prep
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- No heat needed
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- large mixing bowl
- small bowl
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- can opener
- mixing spoon
- cooler with ice
Steps
-
Make garlic yogurt
In a small bowl, stir the yogurt, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Put it back in the cooler while you prep the rest.
-
Dress the chickpeas
In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Stir well.
-
Chop the vegetables
Rinse the cucumber, tomatoes and herbs with clean drinking water. Dice, halve and slice as listed, then add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, red peppers and olives to the chickpeas.
-
Fold in feta
Add the feta and parsley and fold gently so the cheese doesn't turn to paste. Taste and add salt, pepper or more lemon.
-
Let it rest
Set the bowl in the shade or the cooler for 10 minutes. The chickpeas will absorb the dressing and the flavors will come together.
-
Open the pitas
Cut each pita in half and gently open the pocket. If a pita tears, just use it as a scoop or wrap.
-
Stuff and serve
Spoon a generous smear of garlic yogurt inside each pita half, then fill with the chickpea salad. Eat right away and pass extra sauce at the table.
Trail Notes
Chop the vegetables and mix the yogurt sauce at home, then pack them in separate sealed containers on ice. Dress the chickpeas and fold everything together at camp so the cucumber stays crisp.
Keep the yogurt and feta in a cooler at 40°F or below until you use them. Don't leave the salad or sauce out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F. Toss any leftovers that sat out.
Skip the yogurt and feta. Stir 3 tablespoons of tahini with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, garlic and salt for a shelf-stable sauce, and add extra olives for saltiness.
Pour rinse water from the cans through a strainer or scatter it widely at least 200 feet from water and camp. Pack out the cans, jar, olive and pepper juice and any food scraps.
Campers ask
Can I make chickpea pita salad ahead of time for camping?
Yes. Mix the chickpeas, dressing and sturdy vegetables at home, and add the cucumber, tomatoes, feta and herbs at camp. Keep everything in the cooler until dinner.
How long does chickpea salad last in a camp cooler?
It keeps about 1 to 2 days if the cooler stays at 40°F or below. If the ice has melted or the cooler has sat warm, throw it out.
What can I use instead of Greek yogurt?
Hummus thinned with a little lemon juice and water works well and needs no cooler until opened. A tahini-lemon sauce is another good swap.
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