Vegan Chickpea Salad

This vegan dill chickpea salad is ridiculously easy to make, so refreshing and very filling. Generously filled with fresh dill and tangy lemon juice, the creamy dressing is so delicious you won't believe it is dairy-free! Can be made ahead and perfect to pack lunches! Vegan and gluten-free.

This vegan chickpea salad has everything you need: a nice crunch, lots of protein and fiber to keep you full for a while and a whole lot of fresh flavors.

I must have made this recipe at least a hundred times, we are so obsessed! Summer or winter or rainy days, doesn't matter, it is always a good day for this no-cook refreshing creamy salad.

Makes for a perfect lunch-to-go, but also a great side salad to pair with almost anything, but especially burgers and sandwiches. Also makes for the perfect salad to bring to potlucks or BBQ's. Everyone loves it, even non-vegans!

I especially love how well it holds in the fridge, which makes it one of my favorite recipe to meal-prep ahead. It is so good that it never last that long in the fridge and making it ahead allows all the flavors to intensify.

The vegan dill dressing simply is amazing and probably the star of the whole dish. It is nicely rich and creamy, deliciously garlicky, just a little tangy from the lemon juice and wow, the boost of flavor from the fresh dill is so perfect. Paired with crunchy celery and hearty chickpeas for a nice Mediterranean flavor profile, this recipe will prove to anyone that salads aren’t always boring!

Hope you like it too! ❤️

What's to love about this recipe

• Very easy and quick to prepare
• Not expensive to make
• Great meal-prep recipe
• Perfect to pack for lunches
• Healthy and high in plant-based protein
• Include a seriously addictive creamy vinaigrette
• Fully dairy-free and naturally gluten-free
• Versatile and highly customizable
• So full of bright and fresh flavors!

Ingredients you'll need

• Chickpeas: I always use canned chickpeas for convenience, but you can also use homemade cooked chickpeas.
• Celery: I think celery is essential in this recipe! Super fresh, crisp and crunchy, which pairs very well with the dressing.
• Red pepper: adds a nice crunch and also color.
• Green onions: for a mild onion-y flavor. Could also use finely diced red onion, although the flavor would be more pungent.
• Vegan plain yogurt or vegan cashew mayo: both work well. If using yogurt (I love this cashew yogurt from Forage), then be sure there are no flavoring or sweetener included.
• Lemon juice: will give a nice tang and citrusy bright flavor to the dressing. Freshly squeezed juice is better than bottle juice!
• Garlic: use fresh garlic and not the powder form for best flavor!
• Sweetener: I used maple syrup, but use any sweetener. I think liquid sweetener would work better though and be easier to combine with the dressing.
• Dijon mustard: adds so much amazing flavor to the dressing!
• Fresh dill: super important for this salad. I haven't used dried dill, but if you prefer to use that instead, then start with less.
• Capers: similar to a caesar dressing, capers works great in this creamy dressing for a nice boost of flavor.

How to make a vegan dill chickpea salad

This salad recipe should be all done within 10 minutes!

Make the dressing

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vegan plain yogurt with the lemon juice, garlic, fresh dill, capers, sweetener, dijon and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.

Assemble and serve

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, celery, green onion and red pepper. Pour the dressing over and stir to combine.

Et voilà!

You can serve right away or cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Pro-tips

• This recipe makes 2 portions, perfect as a side salad or a small lunch with a side of bread. Do not hesitate to double the recipe as it stores well in the fridge and makes for perfect lunches-to-go.
• I recommend to chop the veggies pretty small and about all the same size. This will make sure you get a little bit of everything in each bites and just makes for a better texture overall. Also, small pieces will be better for sandwiches and to top crackers.
• Don't hesitate to make the salad, or the dressing, ahead of time. While resting, the flavor will intensify and diffuse in the creamy yogurt or mayo, making it even better!
• Be sure to drain the can of chickpea very well so you don't thin out the dressing.
• Taste the dressing to season it to your liking!

Serving suggestions

• This refreshing salad is delicious eaten straight from the bowl. I like to serve mine over a bed of crisp lettuce with a side of bread and an extra squeeze of lemon juice over. Also, try serving it with falafel for a perfect paring.
• It also makes for a great baked potato stuffing! Just like in these lentil stuffed potatoes, batch cook baked potatoes and then stuff them with healthy bean mixture!
• Serve over halved avocados, aka avocado boats! These work well with kids as they can scoop out the flesh themselves. The creamy dressing would pair so well with the avocado.
• If you want to eat this salad mix inside a classic sandwich using regular bread, I recommend to pulse the whole mixture in a food processor for a few times (not too much!) or roughly mash it using a potato masher for a chunkier result. This will allow to reach a more uniform texture that will hold better in between 2 slices of bread, similar to a vegan egg salad sandwich. OR, use this recipe to make burrito wraps or to tuck inside a pita bread! Also great over crackers for snacking.
• Pack it in your kids lunch boxes! Our children LOVE this salad. Just make sure to use a nut-free vegan yogurt or mayo if necessary.
• Can also pair with pasta or whole grains, such as brown rice or farro. This would boost the salad with even more fiber and make it more filling. Whole wheat orzo would especially work well I think.
• Also would pair well with vegan feta cheese!
  

Customize this recipe to your taste

This recipe is SO easy to customize! You can swap or add extra veggies as you wish. I think celery should be a must, but you do you 😉.

Other ingredients that would work well includes:

• shredded carrots
• kalamata olived
• diced green pepper
• halved cherry tomatoes
• diced cucumber
• halved red grapes
• finely sliced purple cabbage
• dried herbs, especially oregano or parsley
• finely chopped dill pickles

If you end up adding a lot more veggies, then be sure to double the vegan dill dressing recipe!

Storage tips

This salad can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days in an air-tight container. Stir well before serving.

If serving the recipe in sandwiches, then I recommend to make it just when ready to eat so the bread don't turn soggy.

More fresh salad recipes you might like

• Chili lime bean salad
• Thai carrot cucumber salad
• Rice and quinoa Southwestern salad
• Red lentil pasta salad
• Tuscan bean salad
• Rainbow salad bowl
• Kale crunch salad
• Cucumber, edamame and mango salad
• Vegan watermelon feta salad

I hope you will love this vegan chickpea salad recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let us know how it was.

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