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This Creamy Chickpea Salad recipe is zingy, zesty, and absolutely delicious with canned or dry chickpeas, fresh parsley, dill, shallot/red onion, crunchy celery, capers, mayo, Greek Yogurt, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and coriander. You can eat it on its own, on a bed of kale, or between 2 slices of whole-grain bread for a nutrient-packed and delicious lunch. If you’re looking for a great new and easy salad recipe with vibrant Mediterranean flavors, look no further. It’s sure to be one of your new favorite salads. I like to think of it as a vegetarian tuna salad, but even better. Feel free to use vegan mayo and Vegan Labneh for a vegan version.

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Chickpeas

Chickpeas, sometimes called garbanzo beans, are filled with protein and fiber, ensuring they’ll fill you up until your next meal. They have a wonderful earthy flavor that’s so versatile. They’re a great protein addition to Mediterranean-style salads with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes, the main ingredient in hummus, and an excellent plant-based substitution in this vegetarian tuna-like salad.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know I don’t eat exclusively plant-based. I am, however, trying to be conscious of my meat consumption, and I get excited whenever I find a delicious alternative. This is no exception.

You can definitely use canned chickpeas for this chickpea salad recipe, but I find boiling really simple. Soak them overnight with 1 tsp baking soda. Dump the water and put in large pot with fresh water, another teaspoon of baking soda and 1-2 garlic cloves. Bring to a boil and skim the scum that comes on the surface. You can keep it going at a hard boil to cook them faster (mine cooked in 5 minutes!), or bring the water down to a simmer if you can’t babysit the pot. They chickpeas are cooked when they’re soft enough to chew but still retain some bite.

At this point, in order to leave behind the skins and cool the chickpeas quickly, I don’t use a strainer. I dump out most of the hot water, trying to keep the chickpeas in the pot. I fill with cold water, and I dump out the same way. I repeat 3-4 times until I see lots of skin in the sink, or until the chickpeas are adequately cooled. You’ll never strain chickpeas another way again, especially for hummus.

Main Ingredients

Greek Yogurt - Creamy, protein-packed Greek yogurt makes this lighter than full-mayo creamy salads. Feel free to use Vegan Labneh to make it plant-based, just be sure to plan ahead.

Mayo - Nothing beats the creamy texture of mayo. Even if you’re not a mayo fan, you definitely won’t taste it with just a tablespoon or 2. If you must, sub additional Vegan Labneh or Greek yogurt.

Dijon - Dijon mustard adds a wonderful zippiness.

Fresh produce - Celery adds a nice crunch, along with contrast to the acidic flavors. Use the rest of the bunch in soups and as a base for some sauces like bolognese. Shallots are a bit mellower than their punchier cousin, red onion. It also comes in the perfect size for this salad, so you don’t have to wonder what to do with another 1/2 of red onion. Feel free to use red onion if you don’t have any shallots.

Fresh herbs - Washing, drying, and chopping parsley and dill are definitely worth it for this salad. Throw the rest of the bunches in other salads throughout the week. Feel free to sub either fresh mint or basil (not both together).

Acids - Red wine vinegar and lemon juice add a fruity acidity that really brighten up the dish.

Seasoning - Cumin and coriander add a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flair and bring the chickpea salad down to earth.

Salt - Diamond Crystal kosher salt is my favorite for its fine granules, low saltiness profile, and quick ability to dissolve, but any salt will do.

Method

This is such an easy chickpea salad recipe, it’s definitely going to be on your regular rotation.

First, if using Vegan Labneh, be sure to have a batch in the fridge. Maybe make it over the weekend and whip up this salad on Sunday or Monday.

Then wash and chop the parsley and fresh dill, dice the celery and shallots, and gather the rest of the ingredients.

Use 2 cups cooked chickpeas (boiled or canned), combine everything in a large bowl, and you’re good to go! You can eat immediately or marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. The best part is that it tastes even better the next day, making it such a great meal prep recipe that you’ll be excited about having as leftovers. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge. Either make a chickpea salad sandwich, top a bed of leafy greens with olive oil and Persian cucumber, or eat on its own for a complete meal.

Meal Prep

With a toddler and another one on the way, I love to streamline my workload in the kitchen. In this case, I soak 3 cups of dried chickpeas with baking soda overnight then boil them with additional baking soda, salt, and a few garlic cloves. I fish some out with a spider spoon to use in this chickpea salad and crispy roasted chickpeas. I leave the rest in to boil a bit longer for hummus. 1 ingredient, 3 meals! I also use the cooking liquid as a base for soups and sauces.

I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, don’t forget to put it in the comments so everyone knows how it worked out. I also love to see your creations! You can tag me on social media at #omayahcooks, @omayah.atassi on Instagram, @omayahcooks on Pinterest, and @omayahatassiphoto on Facebook.

Like this recipe and want more like it? I have a FREE e-cookbook for you. Be sure to sign up to get it straight to your inbox.

I’ll catch you next time!

Other chickpea recipes:
Vegan Series: Red Bulgur Pilaf with Eggplant and Chickpeas
Chickpeas with Crispy Pita, Warmed Yogurt and Caramelized Garlic (Fattet Hummus)
Hummus Bizeit (Olive Oil Hummus)
Falafel Burgers (Gluten Free)

Other vegan recipes:
30 Minute Vegan Mushroom Shawarma
Yalanji (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
Vegan Sfeeha 2.0
Plant Based "Hashweh"

Creamy Chickpea Salad

Yield 4-6

Author Omayah Atassi

This flavorful and healthy creamy chickpea salad is loaded with bright and earthy flavors and fresh herbs. Prepare it on Sunday and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It's like a vegetarian tuna salad but even better.

Ingredients

2 c cooked chickpeas (dried or canned)
2 tsp baking soda (optional)
2 tbsp mayo or vegan mayo
1/4 c Greek yogurt or Vegan Labneh
1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
1 shallot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp drained capers, minced
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2-1 tsp salt

Instructions

If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight in double its volume of water and 1 tsp baking soda. Drain, and boil in salted water with 1 more tsp baking soda until cooked through. The time varies greatly depending on the freshness of your chickpeas and how rapidly you boil, anywhere between 5-30 minutes. You can keep it at a moderate simmer while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
You have the option of dumping the chickpeas straight into a colander, or you can use this method, which I find the easiest to get rid of the skins and cool the chickpeas quickly. Keeping the chickpeas in the pot, dump out as much of the hot water as you can directly into the sink. Fill with cold water and do it again. Repeat about 3-4 times until chickpeas are thoroughly cooled and most of the skins are in the sink. Discard the skins and drain the water completely.
If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse.
Combine with the rest of the ingredients. If you have the time, allow to marinate for 15-20 minutes before adjusting seasoning, or store it in the fridge overnight. If you must serve immediately, that's fine too.
Use it on top a bed of leafy greens, between 2 slices of multigrain bread for a sandwich, or on its own. Enjoy!