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Croissant sandwich with chickpea chicken salad and lettuce on a plate, surrounded by celery, half an apple, red onion, a bowl of salad, and two glasses of water on a sunlit white surface.
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5 from 40 ratings

Vegetarian Chickpea "Chicken" Salad (Vegan Options)

This chickpea "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, and more. Our community has also had success making this in a food processor and with various vegan options - see comments!
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Dishes, Salads
Cuisine: American
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: chickpea salad, plant-based chicken salad, vegan chicken salad, vegetarian chicken salad
Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Time: 30 minutes or less, 45 minutes or less
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Sarah Bond

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.
    Chickpeas partially mashed in a bowl.
  • 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.
    Ingredients for vegetarian chicken salad in a bowl.
  • 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.
    Sauce for vegetarian chicken salad.
  • 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.
    Chickpea vegetarian chicken salad in a bowl.

Video

Notes

For tastiest results, allow "chicken" salad to chill in the fridge for 1 hour before serving. 
Storage: This salad will keep for up to 5 days int he refridgerator in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.7g | Protein: 12.1g | Fat: 10.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 827mg | Potassium: 461mg | Fiber: 10.3g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg
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