This vegan chickpea salad is one of my absolute favorite dishes to make when I want no-prep lunches. It is so light and refreshing but filling at the same time. It can be thrown on top of a salad, wrapped in a tortilla, or smushed between two pieces of bread for a sandwich. AND it’s delicious just on its own, straight from the bowl.
Why I Love this Recipe
- Good to go – Making a big batch of this vegan chicken salad will give you a quick yet healthy grab-and-go option for lunch that doesn’t need to be reheated. There’s no egg or mayo so you don’t need to worry about it getting warm in your lunchbox either!
- No Mayo – So many vegan chicken salad recipes include vegan mayo – which is fine… but I wanted a mayo-free option for when I wanted something lighter or didn’t have vegan mayo in the fridge.
- Mix it up – You can easily mix up the spices or even the veggies included in this recipe to make it your own.
Ingredients
-
- Chickpeas – The stars of this recipe. You could also make this with a different white bean, like cannellini without much change in flavor.
- Celery – This adds the crunch I always loved in a traditional chicken salad.
- Pickles – It’s gotta be dill! You could replace it with pickle relish in a pinch.
- Shallot – I prefer the milder flavor of the shallot here, but a red onion will work fine as well.
- Dijon mustard & maple syrup – This combo replaces the mayo traditionally found in chicken salad. The maple syrup may seem out of place, but it is necessary to round out the vinegary taste of the mustard as well as the spices.
- Spices – Garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, salt, white pepper. If you only have one spice to use let it be celery salt. This adds that traditional taste of chicken salad to this recipe. Feel free to omit the extra salt if desired.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad
Mash the Chickpeas
Start by rinsing and draining your chickpeas. Pat them dry with a towel and place them into a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas to your desired consistency. I usually leave just a few chickpeas whole in mine. Set the mashed chickpeas aside.
Add the Veggies & Mix
Dice the celery, shallot, and pickles then add them to the bowl and mix. Next add the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and spices and mix until all the ingredients are evenly combined.
That’s it! It is seriously so easy. Serve this solo, in a sandwich or wrap, or with pita or chips as a hearty dip!
How to Store Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Fridge: This salad will keep up to 1 week in the fridge. It is delicious cold or room temp if you’ve packed it in a lunch!
More Tips for Making Vegan Chickpea Salad
- Not Vegan? This recipe also works with canned or rotisserie chicken. Add real mayo for a creamier texture.
- Want less salt? Feel free to omit the regular salt in this recipe, but keep the celery salt for that traditional flavor!
Looking for more easy on-the-go vegan recipes? Try these Crunchy Baked Chickpeas or Easy Vegan Almond Granola.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know! Tag me on Instagram
@theplanted.pantry
No-Chicken Chickpea Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Potato masher
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 stalks celery (about 1 cup, chopped)
- 1 cup diced dill pickles
- 1 medium shallot
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
Instructions
- Rinse and drain your chickpeas, then place them into a large mixing bowl and mash them with a potato masher. You can choose to fully mash or leave a few whole chickpeas intact.
- Dice the pickles, celery, and shallot and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Add the spices, dijon mustard, and maple syrup and stir.
- Thoroughly mix until all veggies and chickpeas are coated.
- Serve on toast, in a wrap, or on its own. Enjoy!
Notes
- Not Vegan? This recipe also works with canned or rotisserie chicken. Add real mayo for a creamier texture.
- Want less salt? Feel free to omit the regular salt in this recipe, but keep the celery salt for that traditional flavor!
