Vegan Chickpea Salad

Vegan chickpea salad with veggies and a mild yet flavorful dressing. This is a basic vegan and gluten free salad with chickpeas which you can build in so many ways.

In this salad, chickpeas are combined with crispy cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and all tossed in a super flavorful lemon dressing! Perfect summer side dish!

For more light salad recipes please check onion salad, kachumber, pineapple salsa, vegan pasta salad.

Salad weather is here 🙂 Just like soup weather salad weather is also legit, at least for me 🙂 Come summer, I veer towards light and refreshing salad meals and this vegan chickpea salad is my latest go to one.

I always have some boiled chickpeas handy and this salad is so easy to put together with available vegetables. The dressing also varies as per taste and availability of ingredients. The best part about this salad is two batches will never taste alike 🙂 So just take this recipe as base, get creative and build your own salad bowl 🙂

A Vegan Chickpea Salad So Good!

What is a good salad for you? For me best salads are made of season’s fresh produce, has a perfect balance of flavors, varied textures and a just right dressing. This homemade chickpea salad fits the bill perfectly!

I love chickpea for its versatility. I always have soaked and drained chickpeas handy.

It is so easy to make chickpea recipes like hummus, falafel, chole, roasted chickpeas, vegan chickpea curry or this spinach chickpea curry when you have them soaked and ready.

Making protein packed salad is a child’s play when you soaked chickpeas. To that you add gorgeous fresh and crisp summer produce and there you have a winner 🙂

During summer when there is a bounty of fresh produce, I always fix quick salads for lunch.

Crispy cucumber and juicy tomatoes just make anything so good right? In this chickpea salad recipe we also have season’s best strawberries come to act 🙂

This is such a wonderful and versatile salad that you can build in so many ways.

Just add whatever you have in hand. No strawberries, just leave it out. Have perfectly ripe avocado handy?, throw it in, it will be so good.

Be sure to check my notes for all the variations you can make with this recipe.

If you are big on meal prep, this is a best recipe for you. Just pack in required portions in separate container in the fridge and store dressing separately. Drizzle the dressing just before eating, mix and enjoy 🙂

This garbanzo bean salad is so good on it own as a light summer meal. Easy to make, vegan and gluten free power packed! This vegan Chickpea Salad Is

Delicious with varied textures

loaded with fresh summer produce

So easy to make

perfect side dish for summer grill.

best source for plant protein

vegan and gluten free

colorful & vibrant for kids.

Ingredients You Will Need

Chickpeas– Chickpeas are healthy legume from the pea or bean family. Chickpeas as they are called in USA are also known as garbanzo beans in UK and other European countries.

These are what we call kabuli channa or safed channa. The same ones used for chole.

I always soak dry chickpeas and cook them. You can also use canned chickpeas for making this salad quickly. In this recipe you can also use kala channa or black chickpeas. Use chickpeas drained and rinsed to make this recipe if using from a can.

Veggies & Fruits– Any salad vegetable you fancy. Think in season fresh produce in various colors here. I have used cubed English cucumbers, salad tomatoes, sweet onions, strawberries and green peppers.

Few more choices that would go well in this salad are zucchini, colored peppers, avocado, raw and ripe mangoes, papaya, pomegranate, broccoli (steamed).

Chickpea salad dressing– The dressing for this salad super simple yet very delicious. It is a mix of lemon juice, extra virgin  olive oil, freshly cracked back pepper, finely chopped chilies, salt and a bot of brown sugar.

I don’t like to drench my salads in dressing. The dressing here is just enough to coat the ingredients and still retain their crunch and texture.

How To Make Chickpea Salad

Prep your veggies first by rinsing, peeling if needed and combine them in a mixing bowl. I have used sliced strawberries, cubed cucumbers, onions, halved salad tomatoes and green peppers.

Add cooked chickpeas to the veggies.

In a small bowl combine the ingredients for dressing. I have used extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped green chilies, freshly cracked black pepper, brown sugar and salt.

Pour the dressing over the prepped salad and toss well. Adjust salt and pepper.

Serve chickpea salad as side with your favorite grilled dishes or as main meal with a piece of bread.

Serving Suggestions

This salad is a wonderful, filling yet light summer meal that you can enjoy as such. Other ways to serve this are

• Add 1/2 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa to make a filling cold rice salad.
• Mash the boiled chickpeas, place on a bread slice or toast, top with salad and add few drops of dressing. Cover with another slice and there you have super tasty chickpea salad sandwich. See my brief instructions for making the same below.
• Adjust salt and pepper before serving.

How To Make Chickpea Salad Sandwich

First of all prepare a quick salad with all the ingredients mentioned except chickpeas.

Next mash the chickpeas coarsely.

Now to make the sandwich, spread some vegan mayo or butter on one side of a bread. Place some mashed chickpeas and top it with salad. You can add some grated cheese if you like. Close with another buttered slice.

Now you can toast or grill the sandwich and serve hot.

Variations & Recipe Notes

To make this salad more satiating you can add crumbled feta cheese as in this watermelon feta salad.

You can add some kalamata olives for a different flavor.

You can add a dash of dijon mustard to the dressing.

Some toasted bread pieces or croutons will be a good addition.

Add a handful of al dente pasta for more substantial meal.

Instead of pepper powder you can add zartar, sumac or any other spice.

Add a splash of good vinegar for more zing in the dressing. You can add a pinch of sea salt.

Refrigerate the salad for few hours before serving to deepen the flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other vegetables can be added in this salad?

You can add halved cherry tomatoes, finely diced red bell pepper, red onion, raw mango, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted beet, cauliflower, broccoli, grated carrot or diced baby carrots, green onions in this salad.

Can I add mixed leaves salad in this recipe?

Yes if vegetables are not available you can easily add boiled chickpeas to your favorite leafy greens.

I usually add rinsed and spin dried romaine lettuce, arugula, kale, baby spinach etc.

Are chickpeas good for vegans?

Yes it is good source of plant based protein, it is filling, satiating and good in many recipes.

How to mash chickpeas?

You can mash them with a fork or a potato masher or if the the quantity is large use food processor.

More Salad Recipes

Winter beetroot salad

Roasted sweet potato salad

apple cucumber salad

roasted corn salad

mung bean salad

I hope you will try this chickpea salad recipe and enjoy as much as we did. Do snap a pic and share on Instagram with hashtag #cookclickndevou and please give a star rating ★ in the recipe card below. Follow us on Pinterest , Instagram, Facebook   for more recipes and ideas.

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