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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 votes)

Crunchy Chickpea Salad

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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Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Author: Jen Hansard

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.

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

Did you make this recipe?

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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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4.57 from 252 votes

Comments

    1. 4 stars
      I didn’t like the dressing on it’s own and I’m not a fan of tahini but mixed in with the rest of the ingredients it turned out well. I really enjoyed this.

  2. 4 stars
    I remember this salad from doing Fresh start many years ago. It’s very good but next time I would use a little less carrots and seeds. I love them but it was a lot of crunch! The dressing is amazing and I’ll be making it again.

    Reply

    1. You can absolutely make adjustments to the ingredients if it helps you to enjoy it more!

  3. 5 stars
    Really enjoyed this salad! The dressing was delicious! So quick to put together, too! Pretty much made this one as is, except I toasted the pepitas. Fresh and filling!! Yum!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    This salad was so tasty and filling. I did make a few changes. I left the garlic out of the dressing. Cukes don’t agree with me, so I added celery,black olives, and cherry tomatoes.
    I really loved the dressing and will keep it in my rotation. All in all, a great salad!

    Reply

  5. 3 stars
    Looked pretty but not well liked by the family. I added avocado to which helped. The flavor mix was unremarkable , however I did like the different textures of the veggies and seeds.

    Reply

    1. YUM! Avocado sounds like the prefect creamy ingredient to add to this salad!

  7. 5 stars
    Very hearty! Will certainly have leftovers for lunch this weekend. Yummy dressing.

    Reply

  8. 3 stars
    I’m sorry to say that I didn’t care for this salad quite as much as some of the others. The dressing had all the flavor(it was awesome). I’m thinking to use that dressing on salmon.

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I just made this for the first time, but it won’t be the last! The combination of flavors and textures is perfect. The dressing is scrumptious.

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Love the dressing and how colorful the salad is! The only minor changes were I toasted the pepitas and sunflower seeds. I simmered the chickpeas for a bit to soften them. Then added some salt and pepper. Great salad!

    Reply