Description
This Curried Chickpea Salad is creamy, crunchy, and packed with warm curry flavor. Chickpeas, celery, red onion, green onions, and fresh herbs are tossed with a bright curry-lemon dressing for an easy no-cook lunch. Serve it in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, pita pockets, or with whole-grain crackers.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Curry Dressing
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise or unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
- Juice of ½ small lemon
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely grated
- Salt, to taste
- Water, as needed for thinning
For the Salad
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 1½ cups cooked)
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, stir together the vegan mayonnaise or Greek-style yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cayenne if using, and black pepper. Add the garlic and mix well. Thin with a little water if needed, then season with salt to taste.
- Prepare the chickpeas: For a creamier texture, optionally rub the chickpeas between layers of a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to loosen and remove some of the skins.
- Mash the chickpeas: Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and partially mash them with a fork. Aim for about three-quarters mashed while leaving some chickpeas whole for texture.
- Add the vegetables: Add the celery, red onion, green onions, and cilantro or parsley.
- Combine: Add the desired amount of curry dressing and gently mix until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust the salt, lemon juice, or cayenne as desired.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately or chill before serving. Spoon into sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or pita pockets, or serve alongside whole-grain crackers.
Notes
- Use vegan mayonnaise to keep the recipe completely vegan.
- Greek-style yogurt gives the dressing a lighter, tangier flavor.
- Cayenne pepper is optional and can be adjusted depending on your preferred heat level.
- Don’t completely mash the chickpeas. Leaving some whole gives the salad a better texture.
- Finely dice the celery and onions so you get crunch in every bite.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
- If the salad thickens after refrigeration, stir in a splash of lemon juice or a small spoonful of mayonnaise or yogurt before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg