Name: Smashed Chickpea Salad {Vegan + GF + Dairy Free}
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Healthy
Ingredients: 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1/4 cup finely diced red onion; 1/2 cup finely diced celery; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup mayonnaise of choice – vegan or regular avocado oil mayo; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

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Smashed chickpea salad is the perfect healthy-in-a-hurry recipe for lunch, dinner, or meal prep. Made with all the traditional flavors of a classic tuna salad, but with chickpeas instead of tuna! Delicious on it’s own, in lettuce wraps, or for a sandwich. So versatile and ready in less than 20 minutes! Vegan / vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and soy free.

Smashed chickpea salad on romaine lettuce leaves, on a large plate surrounded by lemon wedges, sliced avocado, and fresh herbs.

The best smashed chickpea salad

We love it when a recipe is this effortless to make AND is full of the most fresh and delightful flavors at the same time.

And that’s why this salad is such a hit! All it takes to make it is one bowl, a few simple steps of measuring and chopping, and 15-20 minutes.

Which makes it the perfect recipe to throw together for a quick lunch, light dinner, or snack when you’re short on time but still want to enjoy a delicious and healthy meal!

It can be eaten by itself, with crackers, in a lettuce wrap, or as a vegan chickpea “tuna” salad sandwich, and is hearty enough to last for a few days in the refrigerator.

Seriously easy, and seriously delicious!

Why you’ll love this smashed chickpea salad

It is:

Fresh yet filling
Fast and easy to make
A one bowl no-cook recipe
Filled with nutrient rich veggies & lots of fiber
Zippy and flavorful
Versatile – one of the easiest salads to make with what you already have on hand!
Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free
Healthy and hearty
So darn delicious!

Smashed chickpea salad in a large shallow bowl topped with fresh herbs and a lemon wedge.

Prepped ingredients for smashed chickpea salad in various ceramics on a light brown colored background.

Ingredients and substitutions

You can find the full list of ingredients along with measurements in the recipe card below. These are just my ingredient notes and recommendations for easy swaps and substitutions!

Canned chickpeas – Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas make up the base of this salad. Canned chickpeas keep the prep time minimal but you can also cook your own or use leftover cooked chickpeas if you have them on hand.
Red onion – Finely diced red onion adds a bit of zip and texture to the recipe. You could substitute with white onion, thinly sliced green onions, a little grated garlic, or leave it out all together.
Celery – For fresh flavor and lots of textural crunch! It can be diced or thinly sliced. Feel free to skip if you don’t like it or don’t have it on hand – but I I would recommend adding something with the same texture if you do!
Fresh parsley – Parsley is our go to for salads like this because of it’s classic flavor. Other herbs like fresh dill or cilantro would both be great alterntives.
Vegan mayonnaise – I love using an aquafaba vegan mayo like the one from Sir Kensignton’s or Chosen Foods to keep the recipe vegan. Regular mayo can also be used if you’re not vegan. I’ve included some suggestions in the sections below for what to use to make this recipe without any mayonnaise at all.
Dijon mustard – Dijon mustard is a classic choice in terms of flavor, but most any other type of mustard can be used instead.
Lemon juice – For a bit of bright acidity. Lots of types of vinegar are a good alternative. Some of my favorites are white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Seasoning – A tiny bit of paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper are all you need for the perfect simple seasoning.

How to make chickpea salad without mayo

If you would rather not use mayonnaise to make this salad there’s tons of other options you can use instead.

You could make it with equal parts:

Hummus – though you may want to thin it out a little bit with a tiny splash of water or olive oil
Tahini – also may need to be thinned a bit with water depending on the consistency since the thickness of tahini varies so much from brand to brand
Vegan ranch dressing
A store bought vegan sauce like Bitchin Sauce
Plain unsweetened yogurt
Just olive oil!

Other ideas for swaps / additions

This salad is so versatile, and lends itself really well to using up whatever you have on hand in the refrigerator. And honestly, the more flavor the better, so get creative!

It could be made with:

Capers
Finely diced pickles
Chopped pepperoncini peppers or another pickled pepper
Fresh dill, cilantro, or basil
Green onions / scallions, shallots, or grated garlic
Avocado
Bell peppers
Cucumber
Finely diced fennel
Chili flakes or a small spoon of harissa paste
A dash of your favorite hot sauce

How to make smashed chickpea salad: Chickpeas roughly mashed in a large shallow bowl.

How to make smashed chickpea salad

All you need to make this recipe is a cutting board, a knife, and a bowl! It comes together in a snap, perfect for those moments when you needed something healthy and filling to eat ten minutes ago (ha!).

The chickpeas are lightly mashed / crushed, and mixed together with the rest of the salad ingredients.

If you’re ready to start cooking you can find the whole recipe in the recipe card below.

Smash the chickpeas. Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to a large bowl and mash until a rough (but not too smooth) consistency is reached.
Add remaining ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Season and serve! Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired and serve!

How to mash chickpeas

There are a few effective ways of mashing / smashing your chickpeas for this salad.

I typically use a pastry cutter or a large fork, but you could also use a potato masher or even the back of a sturdy wooden spoon.

I like leaving a fair amount of texture and a few whole beans to the chickpea mixture (which means not over mashing!), but feel free to tailor the texture to your preference.

Up close image of the smashed chickpeas to show the rough texture, with some chickpeas left whole.

A spoon lifting out a spoonful of smashed chickpea salad of a bowl full of the salad.

Smashed chickpea salad on a piece of bread for a sandwich, topped with fresh sprouts on a light brown textured background.

How to eat smashed chickpea salad

What does chickpea salad go with? So many things!

While it’s delicious all on it’s own, this salad is equally tasty served with crackers, with cucumber slices or celery sticks, over a bed of salad greens, in a lettuce wrap, or (of course!) on a sandwich with your favorite sandwich toppings.

I love serving it on a sandwich with thinly sliced cucumber, avocado, and sprouts or lettuce.

Can you freeze chickpea salad?

I do not recommend freezing chickpea salad.

Because of all the fresh ingredients and the mayonnaise it would turn quite soft and lose it’s integrity after being thawed.

Storage

This garbanzo bean salad is quite sturdy and should keep well in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4 days.

Pinterest Pin for smashed chickpea salad.

Did you love this healthy chickpea salad? Try these other yummy recipes!

Vegan Summer Chickpea Salad
Lemony Chickpea Feta Salad – a fan favorite!
30 Minute Chickpea and Tomato Curry Soup – a fan favorite!
Chickpea Sweet Potato Hummus
Honey Mustard Chickpea Kale and Avocado Salad

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