Let’s talk Chickpea Salad. I never really ate much fish but before I was vegan I did dabble in some tuna salad sandwiches (yuck!). After becoming vegan, it was easy to give up but I’ll admit I loved that combo. The crunchy whole wheat bread, the crunchy salty salad on the inside. Once I had my first vegan chickpea salad, it was game over.
There are a lot of complicated vegan chickpea salad recipes out there. I wanted to create one that was easy and made with basic ingredients. Sure, you could make your own avocado aquafaba mayo or go buy some fancy seaweed flakes. But I’m keeping this straight-forward and using a store-bought vegan mayo here. There are so vegan mayos on the market now, you are bound to find one that you like. A lot of them actually have decent ingredient lists. Plus, I like this salad as a last-minute lunch idea that I can throw together in minutes, since I always have chickpeas on hand. (Seriously, I go into full-on panic mode if I ever run out.) So for this recipe, simple = better.
Now you can’t just throw chickpeas and mayo together and expect to have a great tasting vegan chickpea salad. My secret ingredient is the Organic Season Salt that Redmond Real Salt makes. First of all, Redmond uses the ONLY pink salt mined from the U.S. If you don’t already know, unrefined pink salt has 60+ trace minerals that help your body to stay balanced, get rid of toxins, and absorb nutrients better. Secondly, this Season Salt has an awesome list of herbs and spices that make it a versatile, delicious, and healthful addition to any meal. Check it out: Real Salt, organic onion, organic coriander, organic mustard, organic black pepper, organic paprika, organic celery seed, organic turmeric, and organic parsley. YUM.
I find this combo to be perfect in my vegan chickpea salad. It’s got the salt, a little smokiness, it’s a little floral, and has a little kick. Perfectly balanced seasoning that brings out all the right flavors in this recipe. And ya’ll know I love everything organic so I appreciate that any spices added to my meal are made with quality ingredients.
Pair this delicious and easy vegan chickpea salad with a slice of tomato on whole wheat toast, or with pita chips or crackers as the perfect appetizer. You can also toss in a spoonful of capers or dried seaweed to amp up the saltiness, but I tend to not have those things laying around. This recipe is salty enough already, and since it’s filled with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, it will become your go-to easy lunch or appetizer dish. When I keep my recipes simple, I find myself making them over and over again! (Chickpea lovers, you’ll also want to file away my Sweet and Salty Chickpea recipe here.)
Important Recipe Note
Be sure not to over-process the chickpeas here or you’ll end up with a weird hummus! You only want to pulse them or blend them on low (briefly!) so they break up into pieces. You do NOT want to blend them until smooth. This should take no more than ten seconds. Other than that, this recipe is pretty fool-proof. Enjoy!
A big thank you to Redmond Real Salt for sponsoring this post! Recipe and opinions are 100% my own, and I only work with companies whose products I genuinely use, love, and recommend. For more info, check out my full disclosure here.
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
- 1/4 C vegan mayo
- 1/4 C scallions, chopped
- 1 Tbs mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp Redmond Organic Season Salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add to blender or food processor.
- Add all other ingredients and pulse or blend on low briefly, only until combined. Do not over-process.
- That's it! Season with extra salt and pepper to taste, and serve!
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