Vegan 'Chicken' Salad with Chickpeas

Ingredients in a bowl mixing it all up for Vegetarian Chickpea Salad

Vegan 'Chicken' Salad with Chickpeas

Creamy, crunchy with a hint of sweet, this Vegetarian and Vegan Chicken Salad recipe (aka chickpea salad with pecans and grapes) harnesses the power of chickpeas for a twist on the classic. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.

See blog post for variations and how to share this chickpea salad. *This recipe doubles with ease for six servings. See recipe notes for lemon adjustment.

Course Brunch, Lunch

Cuisine American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Chickpea Sandwich, Easy Vegetarian Sandwich Recipe

Total Time 15

Servings Servings

Calories 383kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

1/4 cup (35 grams) Pecans
1 1/2 cups (230 grams) Cooked Chickpeas one can, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons (60 grams) Mayonnaise I like Vegenaise
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
1/2 Lemon zested and juiced, add to taste
2 tablespoons Red Onion chopped fine
1/4 cup (30 grams) Celery chopped fine
1/3 cup (60 grams) Red Grapes quartered
2 teaspoons Chives chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons Fresh Curly Parsley chopped fine
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Oven or Stovetop
Oven: Preheat oven to 325F (162C).* Place the pecans in a small pan and toast for 15 minutes. They will be fragrant and slightly darker in color when done.
Stovetop: Dry toast the pecans in a pan on low heat for about four to five minutes, tossing frequently or until fragrant and slightly darker. Just keep an eye on them because they can burn quick!
Set aside to cool, then chop into small pieces.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, lemon zest and juice (add a little, then more to taste). Smash with a potato masher just until creamy with some whole peas left. The mixutre will be pretty loose at this point but will thicken once the remaining bits get added in.
Fold in the red onion, celery, grapes, chives and parsley. Generously add fresh ground pepper then taste for seasoning/lemon adjustment.
Rest salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour if you can, then assemble as a dip, on a sandwich, tea sandwiches, or simply on a bed of lettuce.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes

*If doubling the recipe, hold out half the lemon juice and zest and add to taste after mixing all the ingredients.

This recipe is sooo good on any of my bread recipes: Multigrain Bread, Multigrain Sourdough, Gluten Free Sourdough or Sourdough Pita Bread

Recipe adapted from my Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich .

Nutrition