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This vegetarian “chicken” salad has everything you need for a hearty lunch that’s ready in just 15 minutes. You can enjoy this top-rated recipe as a sandwich, with crackers, or even on a quesadilla (instructions below!). Our community has also had success making this with vegan options – see comments!
save this recipe!It could be the sensory scientist in me, but some of my favorite recipes to develop are the ones that “trick” your brain. This chickpea salad sandwich is the most classic example, with all the usual fixings of an epic chicken salad. Make a big batch in advance for easy meals throughout the week!
Made with chickpeas, we’re totally skipping the chicken in favor of two cans of protein-rich chickpeas combined with apple, onion, and celery. A tangy and savory mayo and Greek yogurt dressing makes the dish complete!
Reader rating
“I just made this for the first time and omgosh my heart. One of the only things I miss the taste of from my meat eating days is chicken salad.. so I am STOKED.” —Bekka
You don’t need much
This is just an overview – jump to the recipe card for measurements and printable instructions!
- Chickpeas: You’ll need two cans, drained. Don’t worry about taking those pesky skins off, they mix right in!
- The Mix-Ins: In keeping with classic California chicken salad ingredients, this one uses apple, celery, red onion, and sliced almonds to add crunch.
- Dressing: This is just a simple mixture of mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
go vegan
Many readers have had great success with making this a vegan chicken salad. Simply use vegan mayonnaise and a plant-based plain greek yogurt.
Just smash, Mix, & Chill!
Step 1: Drain and Prep The Chickpeas
To begin, drain 2 cans of chickpeas and roughly mash them with a fork or your fingers.
Step 2: Chop The Apple and Veggies
Finely chop 1 pink lady apple, 1 stalk of celery, and ¼ of a red onion.
Step 3: Assemble The Salad
Mix all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add the other salad ingredients and stir to evenly combine. Serve with lettuce on a croissant.
Customize this salad
Chicken salad is one of those recipes that can be made in approximately 1,000 different ways. And while I do feel mine is the best (I’m not biased, really), there are some ingredients that you can feel free to add or sub depending on what you like! Here are some ideas:
- Sunflower seeds or peanuts
- Grapes
- Chives, parsley, or dill
- Sour cream
- Brown sugar
- Black olives
- Green onion, bell pepper, cucumber, or similar veggies
Batch it!
Because this vegetarian chicken salad holds up so well in the fridge, it’s a great one to prep in big batches to enjoy as a component in meals all week!
Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken” Salad (Vegan Options)
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 14-oz cans chickpeas, drained, 400 g cans
- 1 pink lady apple, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion, about ¼ of an onion
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, can sub vegan mayo, 60 g
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, can sub plant-based yogurt, 60 g
- 2 tsp dijon mustard, 10 g
- 1 tsp lemon juice, 5 mL
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Smash: Drain t2 14-oz cans chickpeas and roughly smash the chickpeas with a fork or your fingers.
- Fillings: Add 1 pink lady apple (finely chopped), 1 stalk celery (finely chopped), ¼ cup finely chopped red onion, and ¼ cup sliced almonds to the bowl of smashed chickpeas.
- Dressing: Stir together ¼ cup mayonnaise¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper.
- Assemble: Stir together Fillings and Dressing. Can be enjoyed right away, but it's tastiest after it chills in the fridge for about an hour.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
My family (especially my husband) was extremely skeptical when I made this. Surprise! It immediately became a favorite that we now make every week! It’s THAT good. I usually make a little extra of the dressing in case it gets a little dry in the fridge. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
Thanks so much for your comment, it’s amazing to hear that your family enjoy this recipe so much! 😊
Perfect recipe! Delicious flavor, and I love the way the crunch added by the celery and apples balances with the texture of the chickpeas. Such an easy lunch to prep for the week!
Nothing better than hearing this, thank you Nicole!
This is so delicious. I don’t even want real chicken salad ever again. LOL Even my meat loving hubby LOVES this recipe. I’ve shared this recipe with all my friends and family. Since I found it, I’ve made it one to two times every week for the past 6 weeks! I” It is always eaten up. I’ve put out on crackers and peppers. Delicious. Thank you.
Oh my gosh, I’m so thrilled to hear how much you love it Kim. Happy eating!
This was soooo good! My husband who is not into healthy loved it!! I will definitely make this again!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Pat! Happy eating!
This was so delicious and incredibly easy to make. We did not have greek yogurt, so we doubled the mayo. Used a honey crisp apple since that’s what we had. Left out the almonds, personal preference. Served it on Tostito multigrain scoops and Ritz whole wheat crackers. We will definitely make it again. Thank you for a great recipe.
Love hearing this Cynthia, thanks for being here!
Absolutely loved this recipe!! For sure is a keeper my husband actually liked it. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so thrilled to hear it was a hit, Wendy! Happy eating!
This is DELICIOUS. We’ve both been really enjoying it on a salad for lunches this week. It holds well. We used fried cranberries and pecans and it’s just delightful. Thank you!
Thanks for the sweet review Katrina, happy you enjoyed the salad!
I’m going to make half a batch with dried cranberries and/or raisins, and a generous dose of curry powder. Serving with a croissant sounds dreamy.
I absolutely love this salad. Definitely a keeper. We are not vegan or vegetarian so I used your recipe but added chicken in place of 1 of the cans of chick peas. It was still awesome. Love your recipes and rarely change things. I just thought this would be the upgrade to a plain chicken salad I was looking for. Was a great upgrade! Thank you. 😊
I’m so thrilled to hear that it was a hit, Kathy. Thanks so much for dropping back in to let us know how much you love it! It really makes my day to read comments like this 🙂
Super delicious – we’ve been enjoying these chickpeas in wraps all week for lunch! The salad was simple to make and has held up beautifully in the fridge. Adding this to my arsenal of lunches that I can easily meal prep and bring to work.
Nothing better than hearing this, thank you Julie!