Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken” Salad with Apple and Sliced Almonds Recipe
This Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken” Salad is a quick and hearty lunch option that’s ready in just 15 minutes. Featuring smashed chickpeas combined with crisp apple, celery, red onion, and almonds, all tossed in a creamy, tangy dressing made from mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Perfect as a sandwich filling, served with crackers, or on its own, this salad can easily be made vegan by swapping mayo and yogurt for plant-based alternatives. It’s a nutritious, satisfying, and versatile dish suitable for various diets including diabetic, gluten-free, halal, Hindu, kosher, low calorie, low fat, low lactose, low salt, vegan, and vegetarian.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 14-oz cans chickpeas, drained (approximately 400 g cans)
- 1 pink lady apple, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion (about ¼ of a medium onion)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise (can substitute with vegan mayo), 60 g
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (can substitute with plant-based yogurt), 60 g
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 10 g
- 1 tsp lemon juice, 5 mL
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Smash: Drain 2 14-oz cans of chickpeas thoroughly and place them in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or your fingers, roughly smash the chickpeas until they have a chunky, shredded chicken-like texture.
- Prepare Fillings: Finely dice 1 pink lady apple and 1 stalk of celery, then finely chop about ¼ of a red onion. Add these to the mashed chickpeas along with ¼ cup of sliced almonds for added crunch.
- Make Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble: Pour the prepared dressing over the chickpea mixture and stir thoroughly to coat all the ingredients evenly. The salad can be served immediately but tastes best after chilling in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- For the best flavor, refrigerate the chickpea salad for at least 1 hour before serving to let the dressing meld with the ingredients.
- This salad stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To make this salad vegan, substitute the mayonnaise with vegan mayo and the Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt alternative.
- This recipe is versatile and can be enjoyed as a sandwich filling, with crackers, or on its own as a light meal or snack.
