This Vegan Chickpea Salad is quick and easy for the most tasty, no hassle lunch! Serve it on bread, lettuce cups, or over a salad for a simple meatless meal.

The Best Vegan Chickpea Salad

If you’re a big fan of chicken salad like I am, this chickpea salad recipe is a must-try! It’s my favorite to whip up for lunch because there is absolutely no cooking involved and it takes less then 10 minutes to make.

Another reason why I love this recipe is because it’s simply just a great way to incorporate more beans into your diet. Beans and legumes (including chickpeas) are SO underrated, but they’re extremely tasty, versatile, and amazing for health.

Bonus: beans are also the most inexpensive protein option by a long shot! You can easily get a can of chickpeas for less than $1.00 (about 3 servings per can). And if you buy your beans dry, a bag goes for about $1.00-2.00 and contains about 11 servings!

Now that I HOPE I sold you on incorporating more beans into your diet… let’s get mashing!

What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): If buying canned chickpeas, I recommend looking for “low-sodium” or “no salt added”. If you can’t find one with low sodium, just make sure you rinse the beans really well. This can help remove some of the extra sodium.

Vegan Mayo: Some of my favorite brands for vegan mayo are Sir Kensington’s vegan line, Chosen Foods vegan line, and Vegenaise. If you’re not vegan, I love Primal Kitchen as well.

Dijon Mustard: This is the key ingredient in my chickpea salad recipe! It adds a subtle depth of flavor that’s just amazing!

Celery: Adds texture and crunch! Celery is personally my favorite addition to chickpea/chicken salad, but it can also be replaced with any veggies you like (carrots, peppers, etc.)!

Lemon: Adds freshness and tang, complementing the mayo extremely well. Can easily be left out if don’t like lemon or don’t have any on hand.  

Spices: In this recipe, I like to use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, a little bit of oregano, and salt & pepper, but I recommend experimenting with your favorite spices to see what you like best!

Other optional add-ins: slices grapes or apple for sweetness, nuts/seeds for crunch, Sriracha/hot sauce/spicy mayo for a kick, etc.

How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad

If using dried beans, I recommend cooking them prior to making your chickpea salad (either the morning of or day before) so they have time to cool. Alternatively, if you’re using canned beans, start by draining and rinsing them. Then transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and continue with the steps below!

Using a fork, mash about half of the chickpeas. The outer layer of the beans might start to come off, but that’s okay – I just leave it in! Once half the chickpeas are mashed, set the bowl aside. Next, wash and chop the celery into small pieces before adding them to the bowl with the chickpeas. Then add the vegan mayo, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice and spices. Mix well and then serve on a sandwich, tortilla wrap, lettuce cup or over a salad! The possibilities are endless!

If you try out this recipe, let me know how you like it in the comments section! And if you’re looking for more delicious vegan sandwiches, check out this vegan BLT recipe!