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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.
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.
NOVEMBER 9-13, 2026
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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
Jen HansardIngredients
- 2 cups spinach fresh
- 1 cup chickpeas canned (drained and rinsed)
- ½ carrot diced
- ½ cucumber diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoon raw pepitas
- 2 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
Citrus Tahini Dressing
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoon orange juiced
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- ½ garlic clove minced
Instructions
- Whisk together the tahini, orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, tamari and garlic. Add a little more olive oil or water if the dressing is too thick.
- Arrange the spinach, chickpeas, carrot, cucumber and bell pepper on a plate. Pour the dressing over the top and sprinkle with the pepitas and sunflower seeds.
Recipe Notes
- Greens Swap: Swap the spinach for any leafy green, and add as many extra vegetables as you like.
- Ingredient Swaps: Any nut or seed butter can replace the tahini, though the dressing’s thickness will vary; thin it with water as needed. Black beans work in place of the chickpeas.
- Soy-Free: Use coconut aminos instead of tamari to make the dressing soy-free.
- Storing: Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge, the salad for up to 2 days and the dressing for up to 5 days. The dressing thickens when chilled, so thin it with a little water before using.
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.
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What a fun salad. I love chickpeas and red peppers. The additional crunch added another layer. The dressing added one more great level of flavor.
Very good!!
Another delicious salad and dressing! The chickpeas, sunflower seeds and petites made it very filling.
I wish I could show you a photo of this colorful, fabulous salad! I’m glad this recipe prompted me to buy tahini, which I have been interested in for a few years now but just never purchased. Crazy thing, I didn’t have orange juice in the house so I used pineapple! OMG. Thank you for all the wonderful work you have done to put together these recipes.
Way to use what you have on hand – and I bet it was an amazing substitute!
I signed up for the Salad challenge which started on Monday but we’ve been traveling and we came home late on Tuesday, but I had to work 7a-7p on Wednesday and didn’t have time to shop. Well, I looked in my refrigerator yesterday and I had everything for Day five’s salad-(Sweet and Crunchy Salad)and that’s what I made. I loved it even without the Tamari(didn’t have that) and my husband hasn’t stopped talking about it. Now he wants salad every day-which of course I try to get him to have salads all the time.
Thank you for all the great recipes and I look forward to a lot more from you.