This simple and fresh vegan chickpea salad is perfect in a sandwich or wrap, and it's tasty enough to eat plain or as a dip with veggies or crackers. It's loaded with plant-based protein and colorful veggies. Ready in minutes!
This is my go-to classic vegan chickpea salad. Not only is it bursting with yummy flavor but it is quick, easy to make, and stores really well in the refrigerator! It is perfect for a portable lunch and super satisfying. Even if you are not vegetarian, it is a great way to switch things up when you are bored of tuna fish or chicken salad. You won't miss out on any filling protein, either, since chickpeas are so nutrient-dense!
I've been making this recipe for years now. It's a total crowdpleaser with both the kids and at cookouts. The creamy texture with a bit of crunch from the celery is next level to enjoy it as either a side dish or main course!
Why You'll Love this Classic Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Simple ingredients - just chickpeas, fresh veggies, seasoning and vegan mayonnaise
- Quick
- Perfect meal prep recipe - makes for an easy lunch
- Versatile - serve in sandwiches, tortillas, lettuce wraps or by itself!
- Flexible - Forgiving recipe and easy to make swaps or add more ingredients to taste
Easy Chickpea Salad Ingredients
In this recipe I keep the garbanzo beans mostly whole and mash them with my potato masher to achieve the perfect texture for this salad. I added in some crunch and flavor with diced celery, green onions and red onions. Since chickpeas basically have no flavor you can create whatever you want out of them, and they add substance and nutrients to your day!
- Chickpeas (canned or cooked from scratch) - Make sure they're drained, rinsed and dried. You can keep your prepped chickpeas in the refrigerator if you want to enjoy your salad immediately after preparing.
- Vegan mayo or vegan sour cream - Feel free to use store-bought, but I make my own using a base of cashews. It's surprisingly easy, and you can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad.
- Dijon mustard - I love the slight tang that Dijon mustard adds to this salad. It really brings the flavor!
- Maple syrup - Pure maple is my sweetener of choice. It keeps recipes free of refined sugar and really balances out the more savory flavors in a dish.
- Salt and black pepper - Start with a little, give it a taste and adjust to your preference.
- Red onion - I like to dice red onion as small as I can so it stirs evenly into every bite!
- Green onions - Just like the red onion, I dice these small. They add gorgeous color and delicious flavor!
- Celery - Celery doesn't have a strong flavor, but it does add the most satisfying crunch!
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad
Trust me when I say this recipe is quick and easy! Using canned chickpeas speeds up the process and the entire recipe is just dicing and tossing. If you're making my cashew-based creamy vegan mayo you'll need a blender, but even that only takes 5 minutes to make!
To make this chickpea salad, grab a large mixing bowl and add the chickpeas. Smash them with a potato masher (or fork). Then add the vegan mayo, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
Then stir in the red onion, green onion and celery and you're done! Crazy, right?! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post which list the steps.
Optional Ingredients to Add
Depending on what I have and what I'm craving, I'll often add other ingredients. I loved the curried chickpea salad version so much I gave it its own home on the blog! Here are some ideas:
- For freshness: fresh herbs (fresh dill, fresh parsley or fresh basil), fresh lemon juice
- For different flavors: add cherry tomatoes, Granny Smith apples or ground spices such as garlic powder. You could even add Kalamata olives to give it a Mediterranean spin.
- For added texture: add red bell pepper or english cucumbers for crunch.
How to Enjoy Vegan Chickpea Salad
I like to enjoy chickpea salad on toasted gluten-free bread or wrapped in an almond flour tortilla with freshly sliced red tomato, crispy lettuce and ripe avocado. You could also serve it on top of any salad for added protein, flavor and texture!
I sometimes stuff large romaine leaves with the chickpea salad and enjoy it like a burrito. I even enjoy this recipe scooped onto bell peppers, cucumbers, super seed crackers or these easy almond flour crackers! It is packed with so much flavor that you cannot go wrong here.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
All About Chickpeas
The star of this dish, the chickpea, is a legume, which means it contains plant-based protein, fiber and complex carbs. Chickpeas are also an excellent source of folic acid. Plus, they are low in fat and contain no cholesterol.
This dish will digest slowly (keeping you fuller longer) and is satisfying without making you feel stuffed. We LOVE chickpeas in my house, and we make hummus with them all the time! It's my kid's favorite snack.
This easy chickpea salad recipe is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free and nut-free. I love making delicious, allergen-free foods! If you give this recipe a try, please snap a pic and tag @eatingbyelaine so I can see your creations, and don't forget to leave a review below!
Totally Addictive Classic Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A vegan lunchtime solution for all! Enjoy by itself or use it to fill lettuce wraps or sandwiches. You can also place it as a topping on a vegetable salad or crackers.
Ingredients
- 1, 15 ounce can chickpeas or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (chilled in advance if you want to enjoy immediately after preparing), drained, rinsed and dried
- ¼ cup vegan mayo (or vegan sour cream)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 2 large stalks celery, finely chopped
Instructions
- Add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and mash well with a potato masher (or fork) until most if not all of the chickpeas are smashed.
- To the mixing bowl add the vegan mayo (or vegan sour cream), mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
- Stir in the red onion, green onion and celery. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Enjoy immediately with crackers, overtop salad greens or in a wrap, pita or sandwich. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
The above is an excellent base recipe. You may want to try variations on the recipe by switching Granny Smith apple or red bell pepper for the celery or adding garlic, fresh dill or lemon juice. Definitely feel free to make it your own!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Lunch
Lucy says
Delicious!! I used to love chicken salad and tuna salad but have made some dietary changes at home and this is such a great vegetarian replacement. Will become a lunch staple.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Lucy! I'm so happy to hear this works as a great sub for that craving! I just ate my wrap (actually two!) for an early lunch here 🙂
Emily says
We loved this recipe! So delicious and easy to make. Will definitely be going into our regular meal rotation!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Emily! I'm so happy to hear you loved it! It is a staple for me too 🙂 I'm so happy to hear you are adding it to your weekly rotation! Best, Elaine