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This colorful and crunchy chickpea salad is full of Mediterranean-inspired flavor. I love loading up my salads with vibrant ingredients that are visually appealing, nourishing and filling.
I originally created this recipe for my Plant-Based Cleanse. It is one salad that always surprises people, so if you’re on the fence about salads loaded with toppings, I’m ready to change your mind.
Ingredients in Chickpea Salad
I love using Mediterranean-inspired flavors and ingredients since the Mediterranean contains blue zones, places on Earth known for longevity. You can definitely add in the vegetables of your choice, or add even more cucumber, pepper or carrot to this chickpea salad. Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, so look for either name on the label. Drain and rinse well before using.
The Key to the Perfect Dressing
To brighten up the veggie-fest that is this crunchy salad I created a Citrus Tahini Dressing. The tamari and apple cider vinegar brings the zing while the orange sweetens. The tahini wraps it all up in a creamy package.
Depending on how thick your tahini is, you may need to add a bit of water to ensure this dressing is perfectly pourable. Use coconut aminos if you need a soy-free option in place of the tamari. The dressing tastes great yet also adds extra healthy fat to my chickpea salad.
Crunchy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach fresh
- 1 cup chickpeas canned (drained and rinsed)
- ½ carrot diced
- ½ cucumber diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup raw pepitas
- ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Whisk together Citrus Tahini Dressing ingredients. Add extra olive oil or water if dressing is too thick.
- Place spinach, chickpeas and veggies on a plate. Pour dressing on top and sprinkle with seeds.
Notes
- Swap spinach with the leafy greens of your choice.
- Feel free to load this salad up with as many veggies as you want.
- Chickpeas add healthy protein, swap with black beans if you aren’t a fan of chickpeas.
- Swap seeds with chopped cashews and almonds.
- Swap tahini with the nut butter of your choice (though texture + thickness will change depending on the nut butter used).
- Use coconut aminos instead of tamari to make this soy-free.
Nutrition
Chickpea Salad FAQs
They can be! Chickpeas are a wonderful plant protein, healthy fat and high in fiber. They are loaded with nutrients, like manganese and folate, so they are filling as well as nutritious.
Nope! Chickpeas should be cooked before eating. Canned chickpeas are already cooked, just rinse well before using.
I paired chickpeas with spinach, carrot, red bell pepper, cucumber, pepitas and sunflower seeds and topped it all with a bright tahini dressing. It’s loaded with protein, healthy fat and 100% plants.
Loved the crunchiness!
I was a bit on the fence about trying this salad but I enjoyed the Crunchy goodness and the amazing dressing. Forgot the carrots tonight but I won’t on the next serving. Very tasty salad!
I struggled to get the right consistency for the dressing. I had not played around much with Tahini before this though. It was refreshing though!
The tahini & citrus dressing was what this salad pop! Now I know that I added more OJ in the dressing which made it thinner however that’s how I like my dressings. I enjoyed the crunchy salad, easy to make and easy to eat as long as you like crunchy veggies! Will be making again at some point!
Not always a fan of tahini dressing but adding the orange juice gave it a nice flavour. We enjoyed!
Chickpeas are my favorite and this recipe is totally refreshing and easy to make and my kids love it as well
This salad looks delicious!!
I don’t use/consume oil so do you have a recommendation for a swap for the dressing??
Hi! You could substitute with a nut oil if you consume those. If not, possibly add a little more of vinegar and add water? I’m not sure how it would turn out though.
This salad has all my favorites!! Love the chickpeas, sunflower seeds, pepitas, cucumber, carrots, and delightful dressing!! Thank you Jen for another incredible salad!