Best Curried Chickpea Salad (2024)

This Curried Chickpea Salad is a vegan 'chicken' salad, packed with flavor from the warm curry seasoning. It's quick to make, healthy, and meal-prep friendly. Enjoy it as a wrap, sandwich, or with crackers. The creamy curry dressing has just the right amount of tang and spice.

This Best Curried Chickpea Salad recipe is one of my favorite healthy snacks, and I'm sure it will be one of yours too! It's packed with flavor, loaded with nutrients, and tastes amazing. Plus, all the ingredients are budget-friendly.

The antioxidant-rich creamy dressing contains curry powder, which may offer a variety of health benefits due to the numerous healthful spices it contains. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful antioxidant that may reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease. Piperine, a substance in black pepper, increases the absorption of curcumin. I like to make a big batch and use it for other salads throughout the week. It's good for 4 to 5 days.

This chickpea salad recipe was inspired by my Avocado Spread with Chickpeas on this site, as well as this .

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

• Turmeric, black pepper, and curry powder are associated with reducing inflammation and improving digestive health.
• Celery is packed with important antioxidants and may help improve digestion and reduce inflammation. It also adds fiber to this chickpea salad.
• Chickpeas add protein, fiber, and iron to this recipe. When partially mashed, they mimic the texture of chicken in this recipe.
• Lemon juice in the dressing aids with iron absorption so you get more bang for your buck from the chickpeas.
• For the vegan mayonnaise, you can use my Easy Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe to make this salad! Or use store bought instead. The brand I use most often is Chosen Foods.

See recipe card for quantities.

🥬 Substitutions

• Lettuce - instead of bread, use large lettuce leaves and make healthy lettuce wraps
• Bread - Use gluten-free bread for a gluten-free curried chickpea sandwich. Or choose a high-protein bread (like Ezekiel 4:9) for even more plant-based protein.
• Mayonnaise - substitute with hummus in the dressing and add warm water to thin
• Cilantro - use parsley instead or omit as desired
• Cayenne pepper - omit for less spicy
• Raisins - add golden raisins for a hint of sweetness.

For more easy dips and spreads, visit my Vegan Side Dish Recipes page.

📖 Instructions

Step 1. Partially mash the chickpeas with a fork, leaving some whole for texture. (Aim for about three-quarters mashed.)

Step 2. Finely chop the celery, red onion, celery, and scallions so you get some of each in every bite!

Step 3. Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic, black pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Add water to thin as desired.

Step 4. Transfer the chickpeas, celery, red onion, green onion, and cilantro to a large bowl. Add the desired amount of dressing and mix to combine.

For serving: Make curried chickpea salad sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or stuffed pita pockets. Refrigerate leftovers for 4 to 5 days.

Healthy snack: Pair this Best Curried Chickpea Salad with whole grain crackers for a healthy, on-the-go snack.

💡 Expert Tips

• For easier mashing and a smoother salad, rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to remove the skins before mashing (optional).
• To soften the flavor of the red onion, soak the chopped onion in water for about 10 minutes before adding it to the other chickpea salad ingredients.
• Chop the veggies small so you get some of each in every bite.
• To swap out the mayo for hummus in the dressing, thin the hummus with water before using.
• Storage: Refrigerate any remaining salad or dressing in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

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Vegan Salad Recipes