Best Curried Chickpea Salad

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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.

Curried chickpea salad with chopped red onion, celery, and scallions on two slices of whole wheat toast with a knife on the right side, plus a bowl of the remaining salad.

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 High-Protein Red Lentil Dip & Spread.

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🥬 Substitutions
📖 Instructions
💡 Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽 Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

One head garlic, chopped green onion, celery, and red onion, chickpeas, vegan mayonnaise, spices in a bowl, one lemon, and fresh cilantro on a marble board. — Ingredients for Best Curried Chickpea Salad

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.)

Chopped red onion, celery, green onion, and cilantro in a large white bowl.

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

Vegan curry dressing in a white bowl with a grey spatula beside a bowl with chopped red onion, celery, and green onion.

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.

Chopped red onion, celery, green onion, and cilantro, mashed chickpeas, and curry dressing in a large white bowl.

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.

Curried chickpea salad with chopped red onion, celery, and scallions in a white bowl with an ice cream scooper.

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

Curried chickpea salad with crackers in three glass containers for meal prep.

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.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! Chop the veggies, mash the chickpeas, and make the dressing. Combine for serving. This salad is good for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Do canned chickpeas need to be rinsed?

If you are using canned chickpeas, look for those labeled 'no salt added' or 'low in sodium' for a healthier option. Drain and rinse the chickpeas well in cold water to make them easier to digest and less gas-producing.

How do you stop gas from eating chickpeas?

Chickpeas can make you gassy because of the oligosaccharides they contain. One way to reduce this effect is to cook your own chickpeas, and soak them overnight before cooking. This significantly reduces the components of the sugar, thus reducing the discomforting and gas-causing effect of oligosaccharides.