This easy chopped vegan chickpea salad is made with a rainbow of fresh veggies, creamy avocado, dill, parsley, green onions, and a simple lemony dressing. A wholesome and unique salad that’s perfect for a quick lunch, summer BBQ, or potluck. Vegan, vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free!

Colorful vegan chickpea salad on a large white speckled plate. Topped with fresh herbs and lemon wedges.

The best summer chickpea salad

I don’t think anything says summer quite like a colorful chopped salad that is ready for all the outdoor meal opportunities!

Summer is the best time for easy salads like this where you can swap out the veggies, herbs, and dressing based on what you have on hand or what is fresh from the garden.

We love to make it with fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, sugar snap peas, and radishes, but the options are literally endless.

It’s the perfect recipe for when you want to throw together a quick lunch or dinner that’s packed with veggies and will last in the refrigerator for a few days.

The result is always filling, satisfying, and SO incredibly delicious!

Why you’ll love this chickpea salad

It is:

Hearty and flavorful
Fresh
Simple and easy to make
Made without mayo
Customizable
Dairy free + gluten free
Bright and colorful
Perfect for summer BBQ’s and potlucks
Super delicious!

Colorful vegan chickpea salad on a large white speckled plate. Topped with fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Surrounded by scattered green onions, cherry tomatoes, and a striped linen on a light cream colored background.

Ingredients and substitutions

One of the most wonderful things about this salad (besides how tasty it is!) is that you can use any variety of veggies you’re craving.

This is the combination of ingredients that we love the most

Chickpeas – Canned chickpeas work perfectly for this recipe, and make it easy to throw together on a whim.
Sweet corn – Raw, steamed, or grilled all work! If you have leftover grilled corn on the cob this would be an excellent way to use it.
Cucumber – Fresh and crunchy, cucumber adds a welcome bit of texture and flavor.
Cherry tomatoes – Bursting with sweetness.
Sugar snap peas – Bonus points if they’re fresh from the garden!
Radishes – For a little peppery bite and added crunch.
Avocado – Super creamy and a delightful contrast in texture.
Green onions – Green onions add a little fresh zing! Can be swapped for finely diced red onion, shallots, or omitted.
Fresh herbs – Every salad is better with fresh herbs. We love a combination of parsley and dill but feel free to swap for chives or cilantro.
Simple lemony dressing – Made from scratch with lemon juice, grainy mustard, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, and salt and pepper. It’s so easy to make and so much better than store bought salad dressing!

Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same thing?

Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same type of bean, so there is essentially no difference between them except for how they are labeled!

Recipe variations

The type of vegetables you could add to this salad are only limited by your imagination! These are some suggestions to get the wheels turning if you need some inspiration.

Asparagus
Broccoli florets
Olives
Artichokes
Roasted beets (keep in mind your salad with turn pink!)
Feta cheese
Jalapeño
Bell pepper
Other types of beans
Fresh spinach or massaged kale

How to make vegan chickpea salad: Lemony salad dressing whisked together in a small glass bowl.

Vegan chickpea salad on a large round white speckled plate surrounded by fresh ingredients and a striped linen.

How to make vegan chickpea salad

After prepping the veggies and herbs this salad can be assembled SO fast!

Here’s the step-by-step

Add salad ingredients to a large bowl. Add chickpeas, sugar snap peas, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, corn, radishes, avocado, fresh herbs, and green onions to a large bowl. Set aside.
Make lemony dressing. In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, maple syrup or honey, kosher salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
Toss salad. Pour dressing over salad and toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy. Enjoy immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve!

Can this salad be made in advance?

Yes! This salad is quite hardy and can easily be made a day or so ahead of time.

And because all of the veggies are raw it holds up really well in the refrigerator or in a cooler for a few days. I would even say that it might be better the second day when the chickpeas and veggies have had a chance to marinate in the dressing for awhile.

You may want to consider leaving the avocado out until ready to serve to keep it from getting soft and brown.

Serving suggestions

This salad is delicious on it’s own as a satisfying vegan lunch or dinner, but could also be served alongside other summer BBQ fare.

It would also be a delicious start to a summer chickpea salad bowl. Just add to a base of tender salad greens with a cooked grain like rice or quinoa, some marinated tofu or tempeh, a tablespoon or two of toasted seeds or nuts, and some more fresh herbs. YUM!

Storage

This salad will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though the texture will be best if eaten within 1-3 days.

If you plan to make for meal prep you may want to wait to add the avocado until you’re ready to serve.

Looking for some other ideas for what to make with a can of chickpeas? Try these recipes!

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Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK! We’re so grateful you’re here.