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Curried Chickpea Salad — Creamy, Crunchy & Flavor-Packed

Bowl of Curried Chickpea Salad with a creamy curry dressing, celery, red onion, and herbs, styled as a Vegetarian Recipes Sandwich filling for a healthy lunch.
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This Best Curried Chickpea Salad is a creamy, savory, no-cook lunch option with bold curry flavor and a satisfying chicken-salad style texture. It comes together fast, works well for meal prep, and tastes great in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or scooped up with crackers.

Ingredients

Scale

For the curry dressing

  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise or plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt
  • Juice of 1/2 small lemon
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • A small pinch of black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated or pressed
  • Salt, to taste

For the salad

  • 1 can chickpeas, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise or yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cayenne if using, and black pepper. Add the garlic and stir until smooth. Thin with a little water if needed, then season with salt.

  2. For a smoother texture, gently rub the chickpeas between paper towels to loosen some of the skins. This step is optional, but it helps them mash more easily.

  3. Use a fork to lightly mash the chickpeas. Leave some whole so the salad still has a nice bite.

  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, celery, red onion, green onion, and cilantro or parsley. Add as much dressing as you like and mix until everything is evenly coated.

  5. Serve right away in lettuce leaves, on bread for sandwiches, in pita pockets, or with whole grain crackers.

Notes

  • Soaking the chopped red onion in cold water for about 10 minutes can tone down its sharp flavor.

  • Finely chopping the vegetables helps every bite feel balanced.

  • If you use hummus or Greek-style yogurt instead of mayo, add a splash of water so the dressing stays creamy and easy to mix.

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://irmacooks.com/curried-chickpea-salad/