This colorful chickpea salad is full of Mediterranean flavor. I love loading up my salads with vibrant ingredients and this crunchy salad is both visually appealing and filling.
I originally created this recipe for my Autumn Cleanse guide. It is one that always surprises people, so if you're on the fence about this salad give it a try!
Tips for a Delicious Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, so look for either name on the label. Drain and rinse well before using.
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.
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.
Plant-Based Protein Options
To support my plant-forward lifestyle, I'm always looking for protein-powered plants to keep me energized. Chickpeas contain protein, healthy fat, fiber and tons of nutrients. This salad actually has 20 grams of protein per serving!
If you're looking for ways to keep up your protein intake while eating more plants then check out this helpful Guide to Plant-Based Protein.
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.
Great Salad Recipes
While you can add meat to many of the salads below, they can certainly stand on their own plant legs just fine. It's much easier to find meat-filled recipes than meatless recipes, so I've set out to create incredibly tasty and plant-filled recipes just like these:
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Lemon Arugula Salad
- Cold Noodle Salad
- Greek Salad
- Strawberry Arugula Salad
- Bright Berry Salad
- Crunchy Carrot Salad
- Avocado Caprese Salad
- Plant-Based Taco Salad
Don't forget to rate and review this sumptuous Chickpea Salad. I love hearing your feedback and how you like these salads!
Chickpea Salad
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup spinach (fresh)
- 1 cup canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- ½ carrot (diced)
- ½ cup cucumber (diced)
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (diced)
- ½ cup pepitas
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
Citrus Tahini Dressing
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon orange (juiced)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- ½ teaspoon garlic clove (minced)
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.
Patti
Love this salad the dressing is a keeper!!!!
Diane
I have made this salad multiple times - it’s that good! Tasty, easy to make and satisfying!
Lee
This salad is a flavour combination I do quite often in the summer when a powerbowl meal outside on the deck is in order. Love, love, raw spinach with chickpeas.
Simple Green Smoothies
Score one for the Sweet & Crunchy Chickpea Salad!
Stacey
Really enjoyed this one. I added some different veggies that I had in the house and kept everything else. The dressing really makes this one wonderful.
Christina
This is delicious! I love the dressing and will make it again. The serving size is too large and it's too filling—especially for petite females. Therefore, I suggest that this reflect 3 servings (providing roughly 400 kcal each) instead of just 2.
Carrie Kennedy
I'm allergic to chickpeas so I made this with white beans. I also didn't use the oil in the dressing I just added a tiny tiny bit of water to thin it out. I thought the tahini was enough. It was great, really great. I loved the addtition of the seeds, that was my fav part!
Simple Green Smoothies
Great idea to sub in white beans!
Justina
I was very unsure about this salad. I don't care for chickpeas. But I made it and then I tried it. Sorry I still don't care for chickpeas. For me a alternative would be great.
Thanks for this creation though.
Barb
The nuts added in this salad were tasty, but this dressing wasn't for us. If we were to do it
over, we would try another dressing.
Debbie Giardini
Something I already make. Love garbanzo beans on Mt salad. Scale back.the nuts.
Simple Green Smoothies
Def make any changes to the recipes that would make it more enjoyable for you! 🙂
Arleen
I always buy Tahini but never know what to do with it. The dressing was delicious. The Sweet and Crunchy salad was just what it claimed to be. I was amazed with how easy it came together. We will have this again.
Sally Jo Blair
Sweet And Crunchy Chickpea Salad: I decided to jump to salad number five today because I hadn’t prepped some of the things for the other two days. I sure was not disappointed in the sweet and crunchy chickpea salad! I love the tahini and orange combination in the dressing. It was delicious and I know I’ll make it again. Also the combination of crunch and color made the salad particularly enticing.Since I didn’t have sunflower seeds I used slivered almonds instead and they were also just fine. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Simple Green Smoothies
Way to still move forward and keep rawkin the 10-Day Salad Challenge!
Carol
I liked the crunchiness and flavor variety of this salad but might like to try substituting pepitas with cashews next time. Also thinking I'd like the cashew cream with this as well!
Simple Green Smoothies
Ooooo! I can see a little cashew cream mixed into this one, for sure! Let us know what you think if you try it!
Angela
Looks so yummy all my favorite things can’t wait to try this
Angela
Looks so yummy can’t wait to try this
Simple Green Smoothies
Can't wait to hear what you think!
Mary
What can you sub for orange juice and cashews? I can not eat either. I want to try a lot of your recipes but a lot have oranges and cashews.
Mary
I did see it doesn’t have cashews in it.
Simple Green Smoothies
You can def swap in your favorite citrus for the oranges. I would think lemon would go well in this recipe. Let us know what you think.
Orleana
Oooh I LOVE the way this salad looks! The colors and the flavors are perfect for a full day of classes! I cannot wait!
Simple Green Smoothies
The more colorful, the better!
Erin
Pepitas are not my favorite and I think just doubling the sunflower seeds will become overpowering. Any other suggestions for replacing the pepitas? Thanks!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hey Erin,
Sure! I have a couple!
You could def use pine nuts or chopped up almonds and/or cashews. If those options don't sound appetizing, you could def just omit the pepitas from the recipe and try it that way.
Denise Kretzschmar
Absolutely love this dressing!!