This Curried Chickpea Salad is positively exploding with flavor thanks to fresh veggies, curry and turmeric, and a creamy vegan base! Eat it in a sandwich, wrap, salad...or even use it as a dip. No matter what, it's a dish that has everyone coming back for seconds!
I'm always on the lookout for easy, flavorful vegan lunches. It can be difficult to get a really nutritious meal in, but it's so important to get a boost of energy to carry you through the rest of the day! I love recipes that keep well in the refrigerator, taste incredible, and give my body the nutrition it's craving in the middle of the day. This Curried Chickpea Salad fits the bill exactly! I took a more classic chickpea salad base and added really delicious, warm spices and fresh veggies that make every bite exciting. I think you'll love this one!
Ingredients in Curried Chickpea Salad
These ingredients are all ones I usually have in my kitchen already, which makes it really easy to mix up a batch of chickpea salad and have it ready for a quick meal or snacking.
- Chickpeas - Chickpeas are one of my Pantry Staples That Do It All! They're an absolute powerhouse of vegan nutrition.
- Vegan mayo or sour cream - Traditional salads (egg, chicken or tuna) are made with a mayo base, but I do a plant-based version. You can buy vegan mayonnaise, or make Easy Homemade Vegan Sour Cream with a cashew base!
- Red onion - I dice red onion as small as possible so there's a little bit of that perfect flavor and crunch in every single bite.
- Red bell pepper or celery - It's all about that crunch! Having a vegetable with good texture makes your Curried Chickpea Salad feel more satisfying with every bite. I like that red bell pepper adds a little more sweetness, while celery is a more subtle flavor and more about the crunch.
- Green onion - You have to have green onion! I love how these flavors all combine and green onion is the best finishing touch.
- Cilantro - Cilantro really makes the exotic flavors in this dish pop.
- Maple Syrup - This is my sweetener of choice! With the warm spices and savory veggies, I like having just a splash of refined sugar-free sweetness for balance.
- Spices - Salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and curry powder are the blend of spices that take this from a classic Chickpea Salad to a curried one! I love the robust, deep and warm flavor that turmeric, garlic, and curry add to this dish, and they also create beautiful color.
- Optional - If you like a little more sweetness, try thinly sliced green apple, sliced Medjool dates, or raisins.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad
I make almost any vegan creamy dish using my Easy Homemade Cashew Cream base. It's created with soaked cashews (read more about that process right here: How to Soak Cashews) and a bit of time in the blender. That's it! Turning that base into sour cream only takes a few more ingredients for a bit of tang and acidity. If you're nut-free, you can make these same recipes with my Easy Sunflower Seed Cream Sauce. You can also grab a bottle of vegan mayo at the store.
All About Chickpeas
Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are an absolutely incredible source of plant-based protein. This is an especially important ingredient for vegans and vegetarians. I probably eat at least a can of chickpeas every day and always keep them stocked in my pantry. They are an excellent source of folic acid, do not contain any cholesterol, and offer complex carbs. They even have fiber to keep you full longer and promote digestive health!
For a complete guide on chickpeas, see my post on Chickpea Benefits for Vegans (+ Recipes).
How to Enjoy Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Having this Curried Chickpea Salad in your refrigerator creates endless meal and snacking possibilities! It's delicious on a sandwich, in a wrap or spooned on top of a salad. You can also eat it as a dip on slices of bell pepper or cucumber, or eat it with my Homemade Seed Crackers or Easy Almond Flour Crackers.
This Vegan Curried Chickpea Salad is totally free of dairy, eggs, gluten, soy and refined sugar! It's a super allergy-friendly dish that everyone can enjoy. If you make it, I hope you'll tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation, and please leave a review below! You can also subscribe to my newsletter to receive plant-based recipes in your inbox every week.
More Chickpea Recipes
- Vegan Chickpea & Avocado "Egg" Salad Sandwich
- Moroccan Tomato Chickpea Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Shawarma
- Best Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Chickpea Croutons
- Dijon Chickpea Fritters
- Best Chickpea Soup for the Soul
- Plant Powered Fall Quinoa & Arugula Salad with Apples & Figs
- Crispy Socca with Avocado Mash
- Roasted Veggies & Crispy Chickpeas Over Fluffy Quinoa
- Spicy Red Lentil Veggie Stew with Crunchy Chickpea Croutons
- Protein-Packed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Curried Chickpea Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Curried Chickpea Salad is positively exploding with flavor thanks to fresh veggies, curry and turmeric, and a creamy vegan base!
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (no salt added), drained, rinsed and dried
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper (or sub celery)
- optional: 1 small green apple, cored and finely diced or 2 pitted finely diced Medjool dates (or sub ¼ cup raisins)
- 1 green onion (scallion), diced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (large stems removed), diced
- 3 tablespoons vegan sour cream (or vegan mayo)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
Instructions
- Add chickpeas to a medium mixing bowl. Use a potato masher (or fork) to mash the chickpeas well until most of them are smashed.
- Add the red onion, bell pepper, apple if using, green onion and cilantro.
- Stir in the vegan sour cream (or vegan mayo), maple syrup, salt, turmeric, garlic and curry powder and mix until well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
- Enjoy immediately overtop salad greens, with crackers or in a sandwich or wrap. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 10
- Category: Lunch
Keywords: curried chickpea salad sandwich
Lucie says
This salad/dip looks so tasty and love all the photos of serving suggestions. Also the link to vegan sour cream. thank you!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Lucie! I hope you get a chance to give it a try soon! Best, Elaine
Kate says
Didn't know if I really liked curry.. but turns out, Yes!! Yes, I do! This is excellent! Thank you.
Elaine Gordon says
Haha - thanks! It is super mild in this recipe so perhaps that is why! Plus it is balanced out with all the other flavors so it isn't so in your face. Thank you for the five star rating, Kate! Best, Elaine
Chris Blomberg says
Ran out of lunches for work this week and saw this on Instagram which made my mouth water. Had all the ingredients already because it's all super simple stuff and quickly put it together. Super easy to make and very tasty! I made without the onions and still packed a ton of flavor, thanks for putting this one together!
Elaine Gordon says
Thanks, Chris! So happy to hear you enjoyed this one so much and were able to make it with what you had on hand. I love pantry recipes like that 🙂 Best, Elaine