I turned my Best Curried Chickpea Salad into a quick, protein-packed Chickpea Salad Sandwich filling that’s perfect for a vegan lunch, snack, or easy meal-prep option.
I always get a little thrill when I pull together this Best Curried Chickpea Salad. The bright, warm notes of curry powder punch through the mellow chickpeas and make ordinary bread feel like something worth writing home about.
I can’t explain why it’s so addictive, maybe the way the flavors jostle each other, sometimes sweet, sometimes savory. It works as a quick snack, midnight lunch or a proper meal when I’m too tired to fuss.
Serve it in a wrap or on crackers, but my favorite is a Chickpea Salad Sandwich that always vanishes faster than I expect.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: hearty plant protein, great fiber, keeps you full all afternoon, mild nutty flavor
- Vegan mayo: creamy binder adds fat and richness, makes salad smooth and slightly tangy
- Curry powder: warm spice mix, gives depth, a little heat, lots of aromatic flavors
- Apple: crisp sweetness and tart bite, adds moisture and fresh contrast to savory curry
- Celery: crunchy low calorie fiber, keeps salad textural and bright, mild vegetal taste
- Cilantro: fresh herb that lifts flavors with citrusy, herbal notes, some people dislike it
- Cashews: toasted nuts add buttery crunch, healthy fats and extra protein for better mouthfeel
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, about 3 cups drained/cooked
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 small apple, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup toasted cashews or slivered almonds
How to Make this
1. Drain and rinse the 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, then pat dry. Reserve a few whole chickpeas for texture and roughly mash the rest with a fork or potato masher until mostly broken but still a bit chunky.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until smooth and evenly colored.
3. Taste the dressing and adjust: want it brighter add a little more lemon, more curry for heat, or a pinch more salt. Don’t overthink it, you can tweak later.
4. Fold the mashed chickpeas into the dressing until coated, then stir in the reserved whole chickpeas so you get some bite.
5. Add 2 stalks celery chopped, 1/4 cup red onion finely diced, 1 small apple cored and diced (about 1 cup), and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped. Mix gently so the apple and celery keep their crunch.
6. Toast 1/3 cup cashews or slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan. Let cool slightly then fold them into the salad for crunch.
7. If you like a smoother texture use a food processor to pulse half the chickpeas and mix that with the remaining whole ones, or just mash more by hand. Both ways are fine.
8. Chill the salad at least 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld, or make ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days for easy lunches. Give it a quick stir before serving.
9. Serve as a sandwich, wrap, on crackers, or over greens. Taste once more before plating and adjust salt, pepper or lemon if needed. Enjoy.
Equipment Needed
Gear you’ll need, roughly in order of use:
1. Can opener and colander or fine-mesh sieve
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Fork or potato masher (or both if you like a mix of textures)
5. Whisk or sturdy spoon for the dressing
6. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife
7. Small bowl or cup for juicing the lemon
8. Dry skillet plus a spatula or wooden spoon to toast the nuts
9. Food processor (optional, for a smoother texture)
10. Airtight container for chilling and storing leftovers
FAQ
Best Curried Chickpea Salad Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan mayonnaise: swap 1/2 cup for 1/2 cup mashed avocado or 1/2 cup silken tofu, blended smooth; avocado makes it richer and a bit green, silken tofu keeps the flavor neutral (or use full‑fat plain yogurt if you dont need it vegan).
- Curry powder: use 1 tablespoon garam masala for a warmer, less tangy profile, or improvise with 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp ground coriander + 1/2 tsp turmeric + a pinch of cayenne to mimic the spice blend.
- Small apple (about 1 cup): replace with 1 cup diced pear or 1 cup halved seedless grapes for similar sweetness and crunch, or use 1 cup diced jicama if you want crunch without added sweetness.
- Toasted cashews or slivered almonds: use 1/3 cup roasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to make it nut free, or 1/3 cup chopped roasted pistachios for a bolder, slightly salty note.
Pro Tips
– Don’t over mash the chickpeas, you want a mix of creamy and chunky. Mash most but leave a good handful whole for bite, or pulse half in a food processor then fold in the rest. If you mash too fine it turns into paste and thats less interesting.
– Taste and tweak the dressing as you go, not just at the end. If it tastes flat add a squeeze more lemon, if its too sharp a little more maple or mayo will calm it. Add salt slowly, it really wakes everything up.
– Toast the nuts until you smell them, then let them cool before chopping and folding in. If you add them too early they’ll go soft, so keep extra on the side for topping. No nuts? Use roasted sunflower seeds for the same crunch.
– Make it ahead but protect the crunch and the apple. Toss apple pieces with a tiny bit of lemon to stop browning, and store nuts separately until serving. This keeps the salad fresh for lunches without getting soggy.
Best Curried Chickpea Salad Recipe
I turned my Best Curried Chickpea Salad into a quick, protein-packed Chickpea Salad Sandwich filling that's perfect for a vegan lunch, snack, or easy meal-prep option.
4
servings
478
kcal
Equipment: Gear you’ll need, roughly in order of use:
1. Can opener and colander or fine-mesh sieve
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Measuring cups and measuring spoons
4. Fork or potato masher (or both if you like a mix of textures)
5. Whisk or sturdy spoon for the dressing
6. Cutting board and a sharp chef’s knife
7. Small bowl or cup for juicing the lemon
8. Dry skillet plus a spatula or wooden spoon to toast the nuts
9. Food processor (optional, for a smoother texture)
10. Airtight container for chilling and storing leftovers
Ingredients
-
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, about 3 cups drained/cooked
-
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
-
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
-
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
-
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
-
1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
-
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
-
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-
2 stalks celery, chopped
-
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
-
1 small apple, cored and diced (about 1 cup)
-
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
-
1/3 cup toasted cashews or slivered almonds
Directions
- Drain and rinse the 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, then pat dry. Reserve a few whole chickpeas for texture and roughly mash the rest with a fork or potato masher until mostly broken but still a bit chunky.
- In a medium bowl whisk together 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until smooth and evenly colored.
- Taste the dressing and adjust: want it brighter add a little more lemon, more curry for heat, or a pinch more salt. Don't overthink it, you can tweak later.
- Fold the mashed chickpeas into the dressing until coated, then stir in the reserved whole chickpeas so you get some bite.
- Add 2 stalks celery chopped, 1/4 cup red onion finely diced, 1 small apple cored and diced (about 1 cup), and 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped. Mix gently so the apple and celery keep their crunch.
- Toast 1/3 cup cashews or slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan. Let cool slightly then fold them into the salad for crunch.
- If you like a smoother texture use a food processor to pulse half the chickpeas and mix that with the remaining whole ones, or just mash more by hand. Both ways are fine.
- Chill the salad at least 20 to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld, or make ahead and refrigerate up to 3 days for easy lunches. Give it a quick stir before serving.
- Serve as a sandwich, wrap, on crackers, or over greens. Taste once more before plating and adjust salt, pepper or lemon if needed. Enjoy.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 231g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 478kcal
- Fat: 27.3g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 6.3g
- Monounsaturated: 10g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 450mg
- Potassium: 544mg
- Carbohydrates: 43.5g
- Fiber: 11g
- Sugar: 6.3g
- Protein: 13.1g
- Vitamin A: 150IU
- Vitamin C: 4.5mg
- Calcium: 79mg
- Iron: 2.8mg
