Curried Chickpea Salad

There’s no cooking involved in this curried chickpea salad recipe. In fact, the prep work is minimal. But that doesn’t mean you’re compromising on flavor. It’s a full-bodied chickpea dish with a great combination of crunchy and smooth textures. Take it to a picnic or enjoy it as a snack or healthy lunch at home.

The consistency of the chickpeas is thicker than you’re used to with hummus. If anything, this recipe is closer to curry chicken salad when you look down the ingredients list, but it’s 100% vegan, though just as filling.

Ingredients for Curried Chickpea Salad

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• Garbanzo beans: This is another name for chickpeas. You’ll want to rinse and drain them, and you’ll want to use no-salt-added beans if possible.
• Vegan mayonnaise: Creamy vegan mayo is usually made with the aquafaba, the liquid left behind when chickpeas are cooked.
• Lemon juice: The lemon juice gives the salad a zesty, citrusy kick.
• Curry powder: You could substitute your own spice mix here.
• Garlic: Another aroma familiar from hummus, minced garlic imparts fragrance into the dish.
• Salt and pepper: Adding good-quality sea salt gives the salad flavors a little depth, and pepper brings a subtle heat to balance the spice.
• Celery: Finely chopped fresh celery contributes its crunchy texture to the chickpea salad.
• Red onion: Again, this should be finely chopped so that it releases its aroma without overpowering the texture.
• Cilantro: Freshly minced cilantro gives a lingering fragrance to the final recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Mash the chickpeas

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Place the drained chickpeas in a large bowl, and mash them (but not completely) with the back of a fork.

Editor’s Tip: You could do this in a food processor, but you only need a few pulses to get the required consistency. The salad is better with a few whole chickpeas still in the mix.

Step 2: Combine the ingredients and chill

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Add the vegan mayo, lemon juice, curry powder, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and mix until everything is well combined. Stir in the chopped celery, red onion and cilantro, and combine until they’re coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.

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Curried Chickpea Salad Variations

• Spice it up: Spicy, smoky garbanzo beans are such a delight, so add Dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and paprika to achieve your desired spice level.
• Add raisins… or pickles: You can add golden raisins for sweetness, or chopped pickles for acidity.
• Swap out the mayo: For a lower-calorie recipe, swap the mayonnaise for dairy-free soy yogurt or hummus thinned with water.

How to Store Curried Chickpea Salad

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. Chickpeas are quite robust, especially once they’re seasoned, but they will turn slightly sour eventually.

Can you freeze curry chickpea salad?

This is a great recipe for freezing. You might want to portion your batch into smaller freezer-safe containers, after which you can freeze them for up to four months. Defrost the salad overnight in the refrigerator.

Curried Chickpea Salad Tips

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What can I serve with curry chickpea salad?

By itself, chickpea salad is a smooth appetizer to enjoy on a bed of lettuce or with crackers. But it also makes a strangely “meaty” filling for a spicy chickpea wrap or sandwich. Consider adding some avocado slices just to soften the texture.

What could I use instead of chickpeas?

Swapping chickpeas for garbanzo beans doesn’t count, as they’re the same thing, but you can get that creamy consistency and absorb all those flavors with lentils, butter beans or pinto beans too. All these are usually easy to find precooked and canned.

How can I make chickpeas less gassy?

Some people find that canned garbanzo beans, or legumes in general, are harder to digest, so you can reduce some of the side effects by cooking your own beans from scratch. (You can also save some to make homemade hummus.) Soak the beans overnight with a little salt and baking soda. On cooking day, change the water and boil them until tender.