Creamy Chickpea Salad
Creamy Chickpea Salad: A delightful blend of protein-rich chickpeas, fresh herbs, and a creamy yogurt-mayo dressing, perfect for a quick side dish or light lunch!
Full with protein-rich chickpeas and lots of fresh herbs, this salad is both hearty and refreshing, making it a perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation! It’s a great way to get in some extra veggies and protein. I love it as a quick lunch or dinner side dish. It’s a great alternative to a chicken salad or tuna salad.
Be sure to check out the full printable recipe card at the end of the blog post!
Creamy Chickpea Salad Ingredients
CHICKPEAS: Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a legume known for their high-protein value. Find canned chickpeas with canned beans in any grocery store.
CELERY: Adjust to your taste, but I love the crunchy celery in this salad. You could also substitute in diced green or red bell pepper. Green onions or diced red onion would be delicious too.
FRESH HERBS: I love the trifecta of chives, parsley and dill but truly any fresh herbs will do! Basil, cilantro, or mint would also work well in this recipe.
GREEK YOGURT: A way to up the protein even further and keep calories down, I love to use plain Greek yogurt to give this easy salad a creamy touch. Not a fan of Greek yogurt? You could swap in sour cream a dairy-free alternative like coconut yogurt for a vegan option.
MAYONNAISE: Just a touch of mayo helps compliment the Greek yogurt. I use a high quality mayo like Duke’s or Hellman’s. If you don’t want to use mayo, you could use an equal amount of mashed avocado for a twist.
DIJON MUSTARD: The perfect zesty touch, don’t leave out the mustard!
LEMON JUICE: Use fresh lemon juice if you have it.
That’s it! Super simple ingredients that are all easy to find. Of course you can customize to your liking. I often add a little sprinkle feta cheese on top or even diced dill pickles.
Recipe Tips
- For an extra crunch, add some diced cucumber or bell peppers to the salad.
- My husband loves black olives so he likes to add in some to his serving, if you also love olives!
- Add on extra seasoning to your liking. For a spicy touch, you could sprinkle on red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper.
- If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can blend a portion of the chickpeas with the dressing using a food processor before mixing it with the remaining ingredients. This consistency would be ideal for spreading on wraps and sandwiches for a quick lunch.
- Similarly, you can use a potato masher to just gently “smash” the salad to make a smashed chickpea salad that’s also perfect as a dip or spread.
- Chickpeas are a great source of protein on their own, but you can also add chopped chicken too.
Make-Ahead Notes for Creamy Chickpea Salad
This creamy chickpea salad recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just give it a good stir before serving to redistribute the dressing when ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
There are so many different ways to enjoy this chickpea salad. It’s such a versatile dish!
- Enjoy it as a standalone dish for a light lunch or dinner.
- Serve this easy chickpea salad recipe as a side dish alongside grilled chicken or fish.
- Use it as a filling for sandwiches or wraps. A chickpea salad sandwich is a go-to in my house!
- Add a scoop to a romaine lettuce leaf for a chickpea salad lettuce wrap!
- Spoon it over a bed of greens for a satisfying salad bowl.
- Serve it as a dip with crunchy pita chips or sliced vegetables at your next party!
This salad is a great meal prep recipe, below are a few more of my favorites too:
- Creamy Parmesan Pasta Salad
- Grinder Salad
- Broccoli Raisin Salad with Bacon (a Southern fave!)
- Panera’s Tomato, Basil & Cucumber Salad
- Easy 5-Bean Salad
If you give this simple chickpea salad a try, I hope you will leave me a comment and rating below!
Creamy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cans chickpeas about 4-5 cups
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp fresh dill
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, chopped celery, fresh chives, parsley, and dill.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Pour the creamy dressing over the chickpea mixture and gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. I sometimes add a little bit of salt or black pepper, but adjust to your taste.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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