This curried chickpea salad is positively exploding with flavor thanks to fresh veggies, curry and turmeric paired with a creamy vegan base! Serve it in a sandwich, wrap or 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 flavorful vegan lunches. Sometimes it can be difficult to fit a nutritious meal in the middle of the day, but it's important to get a boost of energy to carry you through!
I love easy meals that keep well in the refrigerator, taste incredible and give my body the nutrition it's craving for a healthy lunch. This curried chickpea salad recipe fits the bill exactly! I took a more classic chickpea salad base and added warm spices and fresh veggies to make every bite exciting. I think you'll love this one!
Ingredients
These ingredients are all ones I usually have in my kitchen already, making it really easy to whip up this chickpea salad and have it ready for a quick meal or snacking. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Chickpeas - Chickpeas are one of my pantry staples that do it all! They're an absolute powerhouse of vegan nutrition, whether you're using canned chickpeas or are cooking dried chickpeas from scratch.
- 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 the salad feel more satisfying with every bite. Red bell pepper adds a little more sweetness, while crunchy celery has a more subtle flavor.
- Green onion - You have to have green onions! I love how all of the flavors combine and adding green onions is the best finishing touch.
- Cilantro - Fresh 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 - Try thinly sliced green apple, sliced Medjool dates or raisins for more sweetness. You can also consider black pepper, cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes for more spice. So many great options!
Using Cashew Cream instead of Regular Mayo
I make almost any vegan creamy dish using homemade cashew cream. It's created with soaked cashews (learn how to soak cashews) and a bit of time in the blender. That's it! Turning that base into vegan 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 sunflower seed cream sauce. You can also grab a bottle of vegan mayo at the store.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad
This recipe is easily made by hand. No food processor necessary!
1. Add chickpeas to a medium bowl. Use a potato masher (or fork) to mash the chickpeas well until most of them are smashed.
2. Add the red onion, bell pepper, green onion and cilantro (and apple, if using).
3. Stir in the vegan sour cream (or vegan mayo), maple syrup, salt, turmeric, garlic and curry powder and mix until well combined.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Enjoy immediately overtop salad greens, with crackers or in a sandwich or lettuce wrap. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week.
Health Benefits of 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!
How to Enjoy Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich
This chickpea recipe is the perfect meal prep dish. It makes for a delicious lunch on a sandwich, in a wrap or spooned on top of a bed of greens. You can also serve it as a dip using slices of bell pepper or cucumber, homemade seed crackers or homemade almond flour crackers.
This vegan curried chickpea salad has such a unique flavor yet 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
Put those cans of chickpeas to use with these vegan and gluten-free 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
10-Minute Easy Curried Chickpea Salad (Vegan)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This curried chickpea salad is positively exploding with flavor thanks to fresh veggies, curry, turmeric and a creamy vegan base!
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (no salt added), drained, rinsed and dried (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 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, green onion, cilantro and apple (if using).
- 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.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10
- Category: Lunch
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