Chickpea Salad
Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free
Yield
3 servings
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Mashed chickpeas create a texture very similar to flaked chicken and the sauce gets a boost from a creamy eggless mayonnaise. I’ve also added a hefty amount of crunchy vegetables like celery, green onion, pickles, and bell peppers to give it a great crunch and loads of fibre. Serve this salad in pieces of Boston or Bibb lettuce, in a wrap or sandwich, or on crackers. If you have a picnic or road trip in store you’ll be happy to know that it packs well. Recipe is lightly adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickle
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) store-bought or homemade vegan mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 mL) yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill (optional)
- 1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons (7.5 to 15 mL) fresh lemon juice, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher until flaked in texture.
- Stir in the celery, green onions, pickles, bell peppers, mayonnaise, and garlic until combined.
- Now, stir in the mustard and dill, and season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, adjusting the quantities to taste.
- Serve with toasted bread, on crackers, wraps, or on top of a basic leafy green salad. Or just enjoy it all on its own!
Tip:
- If you’d like a soy-free version of this salad, be sure to use soy-free vegan mayonnaise. Vegenaise makes a great soy-free version.
OMG!! I’m trying to talk myself out of eating the other half of this salad but even if I lose my willpower and go for it….it’s so healthy and good that it’s a win no matter what. Reminded me of an egg salad so I see this appealing to most taste people. I’m planning snacks for a camping trip with a large group of people and trying to have some healthier choices as usually everyone is sharing snacks and appetizers that taste wonderful but often full of carbs and empty calories. So much temptation that it’s hard to say no (maybe it’s just me lol). I can’t wait to whip this up and serve with some veggie sticks and crostini bread. Once again Angela, your recipes always amaze me. We are a house full of meat eaters but thanks to you, we are making room for other protein choices and increasing our vegetable intake.On a side note I just picked up some brown rice syrup so I make the glow bars to bring also.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chickpea salad, Tammy! I hope you have a great time on the camping trip (and that you enjoy those glo bars, too!).
This recipe is SO good! I’ve been a vegetarian for a while; trying to ease my way into veganism. Chicken salad is definitely something I used to love- and I’m so happy to have this alternative! It tastes even better than chicken salad in my opinion. :) thanks Angela for making recipes like this to make it fun to explore vegan cooking.
I just made this last night and is SOOOOOOO good. I will definitely be making it regularly. Thank you!
I am heading on a Long road trip this week and plan to make a batch of this to put in my ice chest. Sounds like the perfect picnic stop food for me! So excited to have found this recipe. Thank you.
Hope you enjoy it, Ruth!
I had this yesterday and I looooved it. My daughter wants it now like every day ;) I put in a little cilantro, that gave it that hint of arabic taste. But yumm yumm yumm ;)))
Oh, I bet the cilantro added a great twist!
Thank you I have your cookbook and I pre order your new cookbook from Amazon. Thank you
Thanks for your support, Carmella!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’ve tried it with one can of chickpeas. I used more lemon juice and a bit more mayo.
It was very good!
This is my first Oh She Glows recipe… really easy and delicious. I can’t wait to make the next recipe… Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, Sarah! Do you know what you’ll try next? Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve been a vegan for 5 years and have owned OSG for awhile. I’ve previously stumbled upon this recipe, but never made it until now. I found myself with extra chickpeas and decided to use to make this sandwich. AMAZING! It will definitely become a staple in my home. Easy, tasty and as many reviewers have noted, very conducive to substitutions. I followed the recipe to a T but for the addition of pickled turnips which added a nice additional crunch. I made it in advance and refrigerated it to allow the flavors to meld. I love it so much I immediately began soaking another 2 c of dried chickpeas for tomorrows lunch!
So glad it was such a hit, Charlene! We love it around here, too. Those pickled turnips sound like a great twist!
What can I substitute the mayo with if I don’t have it? Thanks, Kristina
Hi Kristina, I haven’t tried anything myself, but I would suggest unsweetened yogurt. There’s also a super easy recipe for homemade vegan mayo (using chickpea brine) on the blog!
Hey Kristina, just thought I’d let you know that I make mine with Greek yogurt and it’s delicious. The yogurt is a bit tangier than the mayo, so you may want to adjust how much lemon juice you use
Hi Kristina, just thought I’d let you know that I make mine with Greek yogurt and it’s delicious. It’s a bit tangier than the mayo, so you might want to adjust the amount of lemon juice you use. I personally don’t, I use the full amount, but i like a distinct tang. Just taste as you go – good luck!
This recipe is an absolute knock-out! Even the people in my family who think veganism is crazy, DEVOURED it…I didn’t have the heart to ruin the moment :) I highly recommend this recipe to anyone!
I have this weekly for lunch as I always have these ingredients on hand. Living in hot humid Queensland Australia, it’s great lunch food as it’s always crisp and refreshing. I always look forward to this for lunch!
Excellent!
Delicious! I didn’t have green onion or dill but it still turned out great and made a delicious sandwich on toast and a bed of spinach. (I used less lemon han recommended because It was so yummy when I tasted it before adding lemon)
I LOOOOOOOOOVE this recipe but have been making it pretty consistently over the past two months….do you think it would be weird to sub in black beans instead of the chickpeas? I mostly see black beans used in mexican recipes and nothing that is similar to the “creamy” recipe like this. I guess it won’t hurt to try it lol.
Hey Kelly, Oh that’s a fun idea! I haven’t tried that before, but now I’m trying to picture the flavours in my head, lol. Please report back if you try it out! You might even be able to add some spices like cumin, chill powder, etc.
I used dried dill (all I had on hand) and roasted red peppers in a jar, omitted the garlic, and it was still delish! Perfect for weekday work lunch. I will definitely be making this again and I can tell it’s going to be on high rotation in my kitchen. Thanks for another great recipe : )
I made this today and it was SO delicious! My kids loved it too! So nice to have an easy, vegan lunch idea that the kids can bring to school too!
I’m glad the recipes a hit for all, Sharon! I love it for how easy and versatile it is. :)
LOVE this chickpea salad! So tasty and reminds me of the tuna sandwiches that I miss so much. My 2 year old thinks it’s pretty amazing too, which is always a bonus :)
I’m happy it’s a hit with both you and the little one, Leah!
Excellent!
My meat eating family members enjoy this recipie, and this is my boyfriend’s favorite recipie I put together! Thank you Angela!
Thanks for the lovely comment, Nancy! So happy to hear it’s a winner.
This is such an amazing recipe. I had a chickpea salad sandwich from my local coffee shop and was immediately hooked, so I’ve been scouring the internet for a recipe that comes close. This one takes the cake! An amazing staple to have for lunchtime.
Love this recipe so much! Absolutely answers my tuna salad cravings which used to be one of my favorites. Even my husband loves it and he hates tuna salad and celery. Only thing I do differently is use capers and add some caper juice instead of pickles. so so so yum
I’m in high school, and I make this so often for lunch! It’s amazing on sandwiches, crackers, salads, or even just on its own. Even my (non-vegan) mom loves it! I’d highly recommend this recipe for anybody.
My daughter made this for dinner last night! Sooo good!
Super heathy and very filling! Thanks beans!
So, so good. You won’t want to share.
In love with this recipe! This versatile salad has become a regular at our house. It’s one of those you can change up the ingredients to change the flavor. My non-vegan BF loves taking this to work for lunch.
I have a friend that just had a baby and wanted to drop this off with some pita pockets for a quick easy lunch. Do you think the chick peas are okay for breastfeeding or will it upset the baby’s tummy?
Hey April, That’s such a sweet idea! It really depends on the baby whether he or she will be bothered by the beans. My two always seemed to be (but then again, it could’ve been due to other factors, too!). Your friend could always try it out and see how it goes, or you could swap the chickpeas for more veggies…or healthy seeds like roasted pepita seeds + hemp hearts?
My favorite recipe from here! So easy and so delicious!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. Being from Phoenix I had to add a little southwest “flava”, so I added jalapeños and cilantro and a pinch of Cumin. I was missing the ocean flavor that tuna has,(I was thinking Baja Mexico) so when I assembled the sandwich I added several sheets of Trader Joes roasted seaweed. Wow, that adds some minerals and that seafood taste while still staying plant based. Enjoyed every morsel. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing those great recipe tweaks, Nan! I bet the result was delicious. :)
Your website is not working for printing the actual recipe on your site. When I click on the print icon next to the recipe it takes me to a blank page with a few headers on the left and no way of printing the recipe. I love the chickpea salad! Thanks for the great recipes!
Hey Lori, Thanks for letting us know! I just tried printing a few recipes and they worked on my end. Would you be able to tell me which website browser you’re using? And thanks for the chickpea salad love, too! :)
I’m having the same issue as Lori (using Chrome)
How long can this stay stored in the refrigerator for?
Hi Dee, It should keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Hope this helps!
This might be an odd question but can you taste the mustard? We don’t have allergies to it, just don’t like the taste. Thank you ?
Hi Lisa, Not an odd question at all! I personally find that the mustard just adds a nice, subtle ‘tang’ to the chickpea salad, but that the salad doesn’t taste OF mustard. The mustard just adds another flavour dimension to it. If you’re still concerned, though, feel free to reduce the amount you use, or omit altogether!
Thanks so much, I’ll give it a try.
THIS IS DELICIOUS!!!!!! YUM!!!!
I just made this today, and it’s amazing! I just became a vegan recently (because of major food allergies), and I’m so impressed with the flavor in this. Lots of chickpea recipes are meh, but this one is delicious. Searching now for something for dinner. Thank you!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, Mari! If you try another recipe of mine soon, I hope it’s an equally big hit.
I’ve been making this salad for a few years. i never get tired of it!
This recipe is amazing! Love it on top of sweet potato toast!!!
I love this recipe & I cannot wait for lunch tomorrow!!
This is outstanding.
This is amazing ! So fresh and delicious tasting . My kiddos love it .
Delicious!
Thank you Joyce! Glad to hear you enjoyed it :)
Absolutely delicious!!
Please add me to your mailing list. Love your recipes!
I really enjoyed this recipe. I’ve made it three times. I tweaked it some and used a dill relish vs. dill pickles and green vs. red peppers. The next time I make it I’ll use some red or white onions. Thanks for posting this tasty yet healthy vegan recipe.
Cindy, I love the idea of using a dill relish…fantastic idea. I’ll have to try that. Glad it was a hit!
After being vegetarian for a number of years, one of the things I miss was tuna salad. When I came home this winter for the holidays, my mom kept trying to convince me to eat her tuna salad. To combat the urge, I made her this recipe. It tastes SO good! I omitted the bell peppers just because I didn’t have any. I love having this in a toasted sandwich. Thanks!
Hey Nina, Fantastic news!! Don’t you love when you find something to replace an old fave? I adore this with toasted bread too..it’s just something else!
I tried this recipe for the first time and absolutely loved it! I was trying to find something to serve for our holiday guest that are vegan. This recipe certainly worked and everyone loved it. I added 1/4 tsp of cumin and 1 Tsp. of parsley flakes. Did not have red peppers so eliminated that, but added fresh garlic chives and used red onion vs. green onions.
Hey Pam, Oh I love your tweaks! (And now I’m craving this chickpea salad.)
I’m super late I’m sure but I just made this! Amazing ? thanks so much !
So happy you made it!
This was amazing!! My new fav sandwich!! Thank you!!
Wow that’s great news, thanks Chris!
I’ve made this a couple of times now and it’s been great each time. The first time I made it, I thought it tasted almost exactly like potato salad.
Hi Ael, So happy to hear that! We love it too. I’d love to hear what you think if you try my almond version sometime: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/08/15/my-favourite-lunch-of-the-moment-easy-flaked-almond-tuna-salad/
Hello Angela, does this freeze well? I like to make double batches of recipes and then freeze. Thank you and by the way your hummus recipe is the best!
Hey Yola, Oh that’s a great question…I actually have never tried freezing it before! Sorry about that. I would suggest freezing just a small portion as a test (just so you don’t ruin a whole batch). I’d love to hear how it goes!
Oh. My. Word. This sandwich is my absolute favorite of all time! I’ve had other chick pea salad sandwiches and this one beats them all! I used dijon mustard instead of yellow. I was crazy on love right away but did not expect how much better it was the next day!!!! I’m so glad I made extra! It didn’t make to see another day!
Aww I’m so happy you love it so much Diane! That’s so great to hear. :)
Made this and loved it! Left out the red pepper and garlic but was still great. I have served this over lettuce , as well as, on sprouted toasted bread. Will become a staple.
Added additional whole chickpeas also. Used dijon not yellow mustard