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Home » salad

Vegan Chickpea Salad

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A satisfying vegan chickpea salad ready to eat in just a few minutes! Lemon, dill, capers, and sweet-spicy jalapeño relish punch up the flavor and make this a mixture that is so delicious on salads, in component rainbowls/buddha bowls, and sandwiches (great on toast)! This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, and whole-food plant-based diet. So quick & easy, too!

An overhead closeup view of a large salad topped with a chickpea salad mixture.

Chickpeas are so easy to work with, and so easy to love - they’re really filling and versatile. I eat them almost every day, in one form or another - usually in hummus. When I want to change it up, I make this recipe. It’s full of fresh flavor and can come together quickly, so it’s an ideal lunch.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Silken Tofu works really well here to add a creaminess. This recipe used to contain mayo until I realized that tofu would work as more of a whole-food option and updated it. If you only have mayo, that will still work!

Lemon juice adds a nice brightness and rounds out the flavor here. In a pinch, a vinegar would likely do, though I haven't tried it. Other citrus could work, though will alter the flavor.

Any mustard will do, though I prefer spicy brown mustard.

Coconut aminos have a bit sweeter flavor, but soy sauce or tamari would likely substitute well.

Shallots or red onion would be my first choice, though spring onions or sweet Walla Wallas work nicely, too.

I feel the star of this dish is the fresh dill. I love springtime because fresh dill becomes more available, and dried dill is really no substitute for the vibrant flavor fresh dill brings. An otherwise meh salad is suddenly fantastic with a bit of this beautiful herb. All that said, in a pinch the dill could be omitted and you'd still have a delicious chickpea salad.

Organic Jalapeño Relish is so delicious in this recipe. jalapeño relish is the best supporting ingredient. The sweet hot zing of this relish supports the light and bright dill beautifully.

It can be found at many grocery stores and it’s available at Thrive Market. I love the organic, vegan, and sustainable products I can find there - and many, like the relish, are difficult to find elsewhere. The convenience of ordering online and having it shipped is wonderful, and I receive my order quickly, too. There are always deals going on, and simply joining Thrive Market provides a free membership to someone in need. I’m particular about where I spend my money, and I feel good about shopping there.

Other relishes with a sweet note work well to balance the lemon juice, capers, and mustard. If you don't have a sweet relish, though, any will do. You could add a teaspoon or so of a sweetener like maple syrup to help create balance.

Capers add a wonderful, unique tartness here. You may want to try dill pickle in its place for something close, but really there isn't much of a substitute for capers.

Lemon zest elevates this dish, but can be omitted if needed.

Cooked or canned chickpeas are the vehicle for all of these amazing flavors. If you only have a different kind of bean, though, go ahead and try it- beans are generally neutral enough to carry the flavors well.

You may not need any salt & pepper (though I tend to add pepper to everything). The mustard, capers, and lemon juice may cover the salt. That's why I recommend tasting first and adding salt & pepper only if desired.

A large pink bowl filled with vegan chickpea salad.

Ways to Enjoy these Chickpeas

I love that chickpea salads can be enjoyed in a bowl with veggies or as a sandwich filling. They make for a satisfying packable lunch, and this particular one will likely have you wanting to pack your lunch more often rather than eat out.

In a Salad

Once you’ve made the chickpea salad, it’s ready to top your salad of choice. I like going to the farmers market and getting whatever organic produce happens to be in season, then going from there. The salad pictured includes arugula, spinach, kale, and mixed lettuces with cucumber, pink and purple radishes, and avocado. I like garnishing my salads with edible flowers whenever possible, like the pansies pictured.

A closeup view of a vegan chickpea salad topped with purple flowers⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

In a Sandwich

This protein-packed chickpea salad makes an excellent sandwich spread, too. This is the kind of sandwich to look forward to at lunchtime! Again, feel free to mix up the veggies depending on what’s in season. Here, I’ve included the same veggies in the sandwich that I used in the salad, and it is a delight - especially on an everything bagel! Make sure you have a napkin handy.

An everything bagel stuffed with vegan chickpea salad on a white plate.
A salad bowl in the foreground with chickpea salad on top, a bagel sandwich filled with vegan chickpea salad behind, and a bowl of just vegan chickpea salad behind that.

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The Recipe

A colorful salad topped with vegan chickpea salad.

Vegan Chickpea Salad

A satisfying vegan chickpea salad ready to eat in just a few minutes! Lemon, dill, capers, and sweet-spicy jalapeño relish punch up the flavor and make this a mixture that is so delicious on salads, in component rainbowls/buddha bowls, and sandwiches (great on toast)! This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, oil-free, and whole-food plant-based diet. So quick & easy, too!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, Topping
Cuisine: vegan
Key Attributes: chickpeas, dill, jalapeno, lemon, salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Fiber: 6.64g
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

  • blender or small food processor, or bowl & whisk

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon mustard I usually use spicy brown, but any will do
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
  • ½ teaspoon maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons shallot or red or spring onions, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dill fresh, minced
  • 1 tablespoon relish jalapeño or other sweet relish
  • 3 cups chickpeas cooked, or two cans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest optional but so delicious
  • salt & pepper optional, to taste

Instructions

  • Combine the tofu, mustard, lemon juice, capers, water, coconut aminos, and maple syrup in a blender or small food processor. Alternatively, whisk these ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.
  • In a large bowl, combine the mixture above with the shallot/onion, dill, relish, and zest (if using), stirring well to combine. Then add the chickpeas and stir well. Taste and add salt & pepper, if desired.
  • The mixture will be more flavorful if the flavors are allowed to meld for awhile in the fridge before serving. Then, enjoy on a salad, in a component bowl, or in a sandwich.

Notes

Beautiful Ingredient offers nutritional information for recipes on this site as a courtesy. The calculations are automatically provided by an outside service, which at times may not have a reference for every exact ingredient precisely as intended.  Therefore, while accuracy is attempted, calculations should be considered rough estimates.
Recipe note: You can blend all the ingredients if you'd like (I know my son prefers it blended rather than bits of onion).  If using red onion, the mixture will turn a light pink.
 

Rough Nutrition Estimate provided by WPRM (based on generic ingredients and limited specification options)

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Chickpea Salad
Amount per Serving
Calories
151.46
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
2.46
g
4
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.27
g
2
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1.12
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0.56
g
Sodium
 
118.15
mg
5
%
Potassium
 
285.84
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
25.55
g
9
%
Fiber
 
6.64
g
28
%
Sugar
 
4.99
g
6
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
40.04
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
4.89
mg
6
%
Calcium
 
48.85
mg
5
%
Iron
 
2.6
mg
14
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?I'd love to see! On Instagram, mention @beautifulingredient and tag #beautifulingredient!

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    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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  1. socialmedia@bubbies.com says

    June 19, 2019 at 5:49 pm

    This looks delicious. Next time I head to the store I am definitely snagging everything to make this! I might have some of the ingredients at home thankfully. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • kari@beautifulingredient.com says

      September 04, 2019 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Billy,

      Somehow this got by me - so sorry for the late response! Thanks for the nice note - I hope you've had a chance to make it and enjoyed it! And I hope you did have the ingredients on-hand - I did try to choose ingredients that are commonly used so that you might be able to use what you have. All the best to you!

      Reply
  2. socialmedia@bubbies.com says

    June 19, 2019 at 5:49 pm

    This looks delicious. Next time I head to the store I am definitely snagging everything to make this! I might have some of the ingredients at home thankfully. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • kari@beautifulingredient.com says

      September 04, 2019 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Billy,

      Somehow this got by me - so sorry for the late response! Thanks for the nice note - I hope you've had a chance to make it and enjoyed it! And I hope you did have the ingredients on-hand - I did try to choose ingredients that are commonly used so that you might be able to use what you have. All the best to you!

      Reply
  3. Billy says

    June 19, 2019 at 5:49 pm

    This looks delicious. Next time I head to the store I am definitely snagging everything to make this! I might have some of the ingredients at home thankfully. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kari says

      September 04, 2019 at 4:57 pm

      Hi Billy,

      Somehow this got by me - so sorry for the late response! Thanks for the nice note - I hope you've had a chance to make it and enjoyed it! And I hope you did have the ingredients on-hand - I did try to choose ingredients that are commonly used so that you might be able to use what you have. All the best to you!

      Reply
Kari smelling anise hyssop while standing behind her market basket and fresh produce.

Welcome to a world of beautiful food!

I'm Kari, and this is where I celebrate beautiful ingredients and focus on ways to make eating more plants easier. Recipes are centered around whole foods and are vegan, cooked without the need for oil, mostly refined sugar-free and gluten-free. And so delicious!


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