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Home » Recipes » Salad

Sweet & Crunchy Chickpea Salad

By Jen Hansard | 277 Comments

RECIPE CARD LEAVE REVIEW

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.

crunchy chickpea salad with spinach, chickpeas, pepitas and vegetables

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

ingredients for a crunchy 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.

tahini dressing homemade in a glass jar

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.

easy lunch recipe with filling protein from plants

Chickpea Salad FAQs

Are chickpeas good for weight loss?

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.

Can you eat chickpeas raw?

Nope! Chickpeas should be cooked before eating. Canned chickpeas are already cooked, just rinse well before using.

What pairs well with chickpeas?

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.

easy salad recipes

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 recipe

Chickpea Salad

4.54 from 204 votes
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe
Protein power your afternoon with this delicious, Mediterranean-inspired Chickpea salad. It's super crunchy + filling. Plus this tahini dressing is it. I love it and know you will too.
Total Time15 minutes
Servings2

Ingredients

  • 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.

Nutrition (estimated)

Calories: 604kcal (30%) Carbohydrates: 30g (10%) Protein: 20g (40%) Fat: 49g (75%) Saturated Fat: 6g (38%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g Monounsaturated Fat: 22g Trans Fat: 1g Sodium: 262mg (11%) Potassium: 799mg (23%) Fiber: 10g (42%) Sugar: 6g (7%) Vitamin A: 4637IU (93%) Vitamin C: 40mg (48%) Calcium: 119mg (12%) Iron: 6mg (33%)

More Salad

  • Garlic Lemon Aioli
  • Kale Caesar Salad
  • Crunchy Carrot Salad
  • Healthy Pasta Salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patti

    March 25, 2022 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    Love this salad the dressing is a keeper!!!!

    Reply
  2. Diane

    March 25, 2022 at 10:52 am

    5 stars
    I have made this salad multiple times - it’s that good! Tasty, easy to make and satisfying!

    Reply
  3. Lee

    March 25, 2022 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 25, 2022 at 11:29 am

      Score one for the Sweet & Crunchy Chickpea Salad!

  4. Stacey

    March 25, 2022 at 10:34 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  5. Christina

    March 25, 2022 at 10:29 am

    4 stars
    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.

    Reply
  6. Carrie Kennedy

    March 25, 2022 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 25, 2022 at 11:30 am

      Great idea to sub in white beans!

  7. Justina

    March 25, 2022 at 1:39 am

    3 stars
    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.

    Reply
  8. Barb

    March 24, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    3 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Debbie Giardini

      March 25, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      4 stars
      Something I already make. Love garbanzo beans on Mt salad. Scale back.the nuts.

    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 26, 2022 at 8:38 am

      Def make any changes to the recipes that would make it more enjoyable for you! 🙂

  9. Arleen

    March 24, 2022 at 3:38 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  10. Sally Jo Blair

    March 23, 2022 at 10:00 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 24, 2022 at 8:30 am

      Way to still move forward and keep rawkin the 10-Day Salad Challenge!

    • Carol

      March 25, 2022 at 8:18 pm

      4 stars
      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

      March 26, 2022 at 8:48 am

      Ooooo! I can see a little cashew cream mixed into this one, for sure! Let us know what you think if you try it!

  11. Angela

    March 17, 2022 at 12:55 am

    Looks so yummy all my favorite things can’t wait to try this

    Reply
  12. Angela

    March 17, 2022 at 12:55 am

    Looks so yummy can’t wait to try this

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 17, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      Can't wait to hear what you think!

  13. Mary

    March 16, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mary

      March 16, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      I did see it doesn’t have cashews in it.

    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 17, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      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.

  14. Orleana

    March 15, 2022 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    Oooh I LOVE the way this salad looks! The colors and the flavors are perfect for a full day of classes! I cannot wait!

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 15, 2022 at 10:26 pm

      The more colorful, the better!

  15. Erin

    March 11, 2022 at 1:45 pm

    4 stars
    Pepitas are not my favorite and I think just doubling the sunflower seeds will become overpowering. Any other suggestions for replacing the pepitas? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Simple Green Smoothies

      March 11, 2022 at 9:03 pm

      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

      March 25, 2022 at 1:23 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely love this dressing!!

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Jen hansard blogger at Simple Green Smoothies About

I'm Jen Hansard, mom of two, plant-based foodie, adventure junkie + cookbook author.

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