Chickpea salad or chana salad is a delicious, healthy and perfect summer salad. This tasty, refreshing and vegan chickpea salad comes together quickly. it's packed full of flavours and filled with nutrients and healthy proteins and fibre. It is a gluten free, vegan and oil free salad recipe.
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Simple chickpea salad is perfect as a make-ahead option for lunch, it also works well as filling pita and tortilla wraps. It is a fabulous dish to include in a weekly meal prep plan. Great for a lunch, as a light dinner or as a side dish with a main meal.
Chickpea Salad - perfect for summer
This very simple yet incredibly tasty and flavourful chana salad is perfect not only as a part of healthy lunch and light dinner but BBQ and cookout as well. This versatile salad is a great accompaniment with grilled food and to munch on as guilt-free healthy snack.
Chickpea Salad Variations
Additional spices such as roasted ground cumin or chat masala can add a subtle flavour.
You could add vegetables such as corn, carrot, cucumber, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, green onions and lettuce.
Add a handful of diced pineapple or mango for tropical flavours.
Lemon juice could be used instead of lime juice.
Ingredients
Tinned Chickpeas: 1 tin (400 gms)
Red onion: ½ cup
Green chillies: 1, chopped
Fresh coriander leaves: handful, chopped
Salt: as required
Ground black pepper: ½ tsp
Lime Juice: ½ lime
How to make chickpea salad?
Open the tin, drain and rinse chickpeas with water and keep it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, place all ingredients and mix gently until well combined.
Enjoy delicious and refreshing chickpea salad.
Check out roasted chickpea salad with avocado dressing on the blog.
Notes
This easy chickpea salad keeps good for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Adjust green chillies and lime juice as per your taste preference.
This is actually a ridiculously quick and easy chickpea salad recipe if using canned chickpeas. However, you could boil chickpeas at home.
400gms tinned chickpea yields around 240gm chickpeas once drained.
Storage
This vegan chickpea salad tastes best when eaten fresh. The moisture released from the onion makes it soggy and the salad loses its freshness if it is left for a long time.
However, leftovers are still consumable if stored properly in an air tight container. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you plan to make it ahead to save time on weekdays, I would suggest prepping and storing chickpeas and vegetables separately in an airtight container in the fridge. Toss everything just before you plan to consume.
FAQ
This vegan chickpeas salad makes a great summer lunch to pack or a comforting dinner with a bowl of saffron rice or fried rice.
Pair it with roast baby potatoes, air fryer butternut squash or garlic herb roasted root vegetables for a filling meal.
It is a fabulous plant based side dish with zucchini boats and vegetable soup.
Do not let the salad sit for a long time as vegetables release moisture and as a result, the salad could lose freshness.
If you are short of time or want to include this vegan salad in a weekly meal plan, prep vegetables and chickpea (if cooking the dried chickpeas). Toss vegetables, spices and chickpeas just before you plan to consume it.
Serve this summer salad in a cold bowl/plate to keep it fresh and crunchy for a longer time.
Of course, you can use dry chickpeas but it is time taking process. Soak it overnight and cook in a pressure cooker or in a pot of abundant water over stove top until soft and tender. The best option is to prep ahead and store boiled chickpeas in the fridge/freezer so you can save time on busy weekdays. One cup dried chickpeas yields 3 cups cooked chickpeas.
If you do not wish to repeat the same dish on a weekly menu but also do not want to chuck the leftover. There are innovative ways to transform it into an entirely different dish.
Use it up as a filling quick fix dishes such as chickpea salad sandwiches, and slightly mashed chickpea could be used in wraps.
Chana chaat is another classic Indian street dish with a few additional dry spices and pre made sweet tamarind chutney.
More Salad Recipes
Corn Cucumber Tomato Salad: A refreshing and crunchy salad made with colourful vegetables and simple enriching homemade lemon garlic salad dressing.
Cucumber Lentil Salad: Low-calorie and healthy salad made with cucumber and moong dal.
Carrot Lentil Salad: Salad made with soaked split green gram, carrot and basic spices.
Creamy Fruit Salad: Fresh, vibrant salad that is incredibly easy to make with fresh fruits and greek yogurt dressing.
Fruit Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing: Colourful and exotic salad that is great to have any time of the day from breakfast to dinner.
Mango Avocado Salad: A refreshing mango avocado salad made with few ingredients and gets ready in just 5 minutes.
Sprouted Mung Bean Salad: The goodness of vegetables and sprouted green gram is packed into the healthy and crunchy sprouted mung bean salad.
📖 Recipe Card
Simple Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 1 tin Chickpeas 400gms
- ½ cup Red onion
- 1 Green chillies chopped
- 2 Tablespoon Coriander
- Salt as required
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper powder adjust to taste
- Lime Juice from half lime
Instructions
- Drain the canned chickpeas, rinse with water and keep it aside.1 tin Chickpeas
- In a large bowl, place all ingredients and mix gently until well combined.½ cup Red onion, 1 Green chillies, 2 Tablespoon Coriander, Salt, ½ Teaspoon Pepper powder, Lime Juice
- Serve immediately or place in the fridge for an hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this easy vegan chickpea salad. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Sylvie says
That would be such a perfect easy summer recipe that everyone would enjoy - especially all of my vegan friends and family members! Thank you so much for the inspo, I cant wait to try it!
Sara says
This looks like such a tasty summer lunch! I can't get enough chickpeas!
Berth Pierce says
This was just what I was looking for for lunch today! Light but filling and full of flavor! Delicious!
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff says
I love all the flavours in here, and how versatile this salad is!
SHANIKA says
I love Chickpea! Adding them to a salad sounds and looks so perfect!