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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 21-Day 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.

crunchy chickpea salad with spinach, chickpeas, pepitas and vegetables.

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.

Ingredients for crunchy chickpea salad including spinach, carrots, and red bell pepper.
Small jar of citrus tahini dressing with a halved orange.

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.

chickpea salad on a gray plate with a stainless steel fork.
4.57 (252)

Crunchy Chickpea Salad

Jen Hansard
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.
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Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

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

Citrus Tahini Dressing

  • 2 tablespoon tahini
  • 2 tablespoon orange juiced
  • 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tamari
  • ½ 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.
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Recipe 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

Calories: 462 kcal | Carbohydrates: 25 g | Protein: 14 g | Fat: 36 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18 g | Trans Fat: 0.01 g | Sodium: 428 mg | Potassium: 673 mg | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 4657 IU | Vitamin C: 41 mg | Calcium: 107 mg | Iron: 4 mg

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.

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About the Author

Jen Hansard

I’m the mom who swapped Lucky Charms for green smoothies— and never looked back. Here you’ll find smoothie recipes and plant-based recipes made simple and tasty.

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Comments

  3. 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

    2. 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.

  4. 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

  5. 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

    1. 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.