Easy 5-Minute Chickpea Salad (Two Ways!)
The easiest chickpea salad you can make in just 5 minutes! You can enjoy it by itself, serve it as a side dish, or add it to toasted sourdough bread or wraps for the perfect quick & easy high protein and high fiber meal that’s dairy-free and completely plant-based.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is one of my favorite lazy vegan meals to make when I don’t feel like turning on the stove and want something nourishing, filling, and delicious! Made with just a few simple ingredients, you can customize this chickpea salad to your liking.
It’s great as is, but if desired, you can also add some extra condiments to switch it up (I’ve included two variations in the recipe card below).
Chickpea Salad – Ingredient You’ll Need
The following is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this chickpea salad recipe, as well as recommended substitutions. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.
- Chickpeas: be sure to use pre-cooked canned chickpeas (or if using dried chickpeas, be sure to cook them ahead of time). Instead of chickpeas, you could use butter beans (or any other white beans) or lentils.
- Vegan mayonnaise: vegan mayonnaise is what makes this salad creamy. A great alternative would be a little tahini mixed with a splash of water and a teaspoon of nutritional yeast.
- Lemon juice: lemon juice adds a little acidity and freshness to the recipe. You can also use lime juice or a little red wine vinegar (about half the amount of lemon juice you’d use.)
- Spices: I like using a mix of spices like garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper. Obviously feel free to adjust to your liking and/or according to what you have available. Note: if you’re unsure whether a spice would work or not, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you asap!
- Vegetables: grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), celery, green onion chopped.
- To serve: fresh dill, a little extra lemon juice, freshly cracked pepper (and/or red chili flakes)
- For the “eggy” version: kala namak (black salt). Kala nama is an Indian spice that (ironically) often looks pink. Its sulfur content makes it taste like eggs without actually using eggs! I love adding this to chickpea salads or on top of ripe avocados.
- For the “seaside” version: toasted nori sheet, chopped (you can also use snack sized nori sheets, about 4 per 1/2 regular sized nori sheet), alternatively, you can use a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.
How to Make This Recipe (Step by Step)
The following is a step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe. For a recap, be sure to check out the recipe card below.
Mix the chickpeas, lemon juice, vegan mayo, and spices
Start by rinsing and draining your chickpeas. To avoid your salad becoming too watery, be sure to pat them dry using a kitchen towel or a paper towel (or simply place them in a colander over a bowl.)
💡Tip: if the variety of chickpeas you’re using is salt-free, you can reserve the leftover liquid from the can (called “aquafaba”) and keep it for other recipes. It makes for a great egg alternative in baked goods and, when whipped and combined with powdered sugar, can be used to make dairy-free whipped cream.
Add the vegan mayonnaise and spices and, using a spatula or spoon, mix everything until well incorporated.
Add the veggies & mix
Next, add the chopped vegetables and mix again.
Add extra condiments (optional!)
If desired, you can add extra ingredients to make one of the following two versions:
- “eggy” version: to make this taste like an egg salad without using eggs, add a little kala namak (black salt).
- “seaside” version: for a version that’s reminiscent of ingredients typically used with fish, you can either add nori (a type of seaweed sheet used to make sushi) or old bay seasoning.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this salad in a variety of ways. Here are some of my favorites:
- As is, topped with fresh dill, a splash of lemon juice, and freshly cracked pepper.
- On top of toasted sourdough bread (gluten-free if desired). Tip: my favorite way to toast sourdough bread is in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat with a grated garlic clove and extra virgin olive oil.
- This easy chickpea salad is also great in a wrap (or try my 10-minute chickpea salad wrap instead.)
Easy Chickpea Salad – Recipe Card
Use this card to save and/or print this recipe. For additional step by step photo instructions, ingredient notes, and recipe tips, be sure to read the full blog post above.
Easy 5-Minute Chickpea Salad (Two Ways!)
Ingredients
- 14 ounces (400 g) canned chickpeas rinsed, drained, and patted dry using a kitchen towel or a paper towel
- 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika or more to taste, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste, optional
- 5 grape tomatoes halved, or cherry tomatoes, see notes
- ½ stalk celery halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 green onion both the green and white part (but root removed), chopped (or 1-2 tablespoons minced red onion or shallot per green onion)
For the “eggy” version
- ¼ teaspoon Kala Namak (Black Salt) Kala Nama is an Indian spice that tastes sulfurous, resembling the taste of eggs without actually using eggs, see notes
For the “seaside” version
- ½ sheet toasted nori sheet chopped (you can also use snack sized nori sheets, about 4 per 1/2 regular sized nori sheet), alternatively, you can use a pinch of Old Bay seasoning
To serve (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper and/or red chili flakes
Instructions
- Rinse and drain your canned chickpeas, then pat them dry using a kitchen towel or paper towel. Transfer them to a small mixing bowl (you can also mix the chickpea salad directly in the bowl you plan on serving it in.)
- Add the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice and spices, and mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Wash and chop the vegetables, then add them to the bowl and mix again. Taste test and adjust the amount of salt and pepper if needed.
- Optionally choose one of the variations (“eggy” or “seaside”) and mix in those ingredients as well.
- Enjoy as is or on top of toasted sourdough bread, in a wrap, or as a side with (with potatoes or rice, for example.)
Notes
- This recipe serves 1 as a meal or 2-4 as a side.
- You could also use one regular tomato and chop it, but the salad might get a little too watery. If you’re using a regular tomato, I’d recommend removing some of the juice first.
- For the variations (“eggy” or “seaside”), I’d recommend either picking one version or splitting the recipe in two, adding some of the extra condiments to each part (rather than mixing the condiments for both versions together.)
- Storage: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Per Serving
🌿Don’t hesitate to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. And if you try & love this recipe, it would mean the world to me if you could leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating ❤️
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