Healthy Chickpea Salad

This Chickpea Salad is a healthy, vegan protein-rich salad that is easy to put together in just 10 minutes. Chickpeas are combined with fresh veggies, flavored with Indian spices along with a tangy lemon dressing. Perfect for snack or a quick lunch!

Chickpeas are a favorite in our house, we not only love them in curries such as Chana Masala or Coconut Chickpea Curry, but also in salads.

This Indian spiced chickpea salad, is a filling healthy salad for lunch or dinner. It is an excellent way to lose a few pounds.

This garbanzo bean salad is super easy to assemble if you have canned or leftover boiled chickpeas. 

It is perfect for summer and entertaining guests for parties and barbeques!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this Garbanzo Bean Salad?
• Ingredients
• How to cook chickpeas at home?
• How To Make Chickpea Salad
• Pro-Tips
• Storage Suggestions
• Variations:
• Common Questions
• More Chickpea Recipes
• Healthy Chickpea Salad

Why you'll love this Garbanzo Bean Salad?

✓ It's high in protein and keeps you full for a longer period of time

✓ It's simple to make if using pre cooked chickpeas - ready in 10 minutes

✓ Healthy ingredients - vegan and gluten-free

✓ It is oil-free, which means it contains fewer calories.

✓ It's packed with vibrant flavors and colors.

✓ It is satisfying - enjoyed by one and all.

Ingredients

This salad can be put together with ingredients you will already have in your kitchen.

• Chickpeas: also known as garbanzo beans, or chana in hindi. Chickpeas can be canned or cooked. If using canned, drain and rinse it first. You can also cook dried chickpeas in the instant pot.
• Cucumber: I used mini Persian cucumbers, but English cucumbers will also work.
• Tomatoes: Use firm, ripe tomatoes. Roma or cherry tomatoes either can be used.
• Onion: I used red onion because they work best in salad. They add a lovely color, crunch, and sweetness to the salad.
• Herbs: Cilantro tastes best for Indian style salads
• Lime juice: I used the juice of half of a lime. Feel free to increase or decrease according to your preference.
• Seasoning: salt, black salt, red chilli powder and Chaat masala - the star ingredient that gives the tangy, zingy flavor. If you don't have chaat masala, you can skip it, and add some roasted cumin powder.

How to cook chickpeas at home?

Chickpeas can be cooked with a few ways listed below or you can go for canned ones if you are in a rush.

1) Stove Top

a) Pan/ Pot

• Soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight or at least 8 hours
• Add salt to the water.
• Cook for 1.5 - 2 hours on low, then drain.

b) Pressure Cooker

• Soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight or at least 8 hours.
• Add the chickpeas in a pressure cooker. Add ½ teaspoon salt.
• Add 3 cups of water.
• Cook for 2 whistles on high and 20 mins on low heat.
• Once cooked, you should be able to mash the cooked chickpeas with your fingers. Drain any excess liquid.

2) Instant Pot

• Soak the dried chickpeas in water overnight or at least 8 hours
• In your Instant Pot, combine the chickpeas and 3 cups of water.
• Cook for 20 minutes on the BEAN setting at high pressure.
• Allow it to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
• Once cooked, you should be able to mash the cooked chickpeas with your fingers. Drain any excess liquid.

3) Buying Canned Chickpeas

This is the easiest option and you can actually cut your prep time to a few minutes for the salad to be ready.

Make sure you drain the liquid in the can and rinse your chickpeas before using it. The only drawback is it's not as cost effective as the other methods.

How To Make Chickpea Salad

This awesome salad can be accomplished in 4 easy steps:

• Prep the chickpeas: Drain and rinse the cooked chickpeas.
• Cut: Chop the veggies - cucumber, onions and tomatoes.
• Combine: Combine the boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, green chilli, salt, black salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Toss well and serve!

• Enjoy: This salad is perfect for a quick lunch or evening snack. You can also refrigerate the chickpea salad if you like it chilled.

Pro-Tips

Chickpea salad is a versatile salad and there are many ways you can use to modify it according to your palate.

• Adjust the amount of spices and seasonings, lemon juice as per your liking. Make it as mild or as spicy as you prefer.
• Skip or adjust the amount of green chilli if you can't handle a lot of spice. For kids, avoid using green chillies and red chili powder. Use crushed black pepper instead of red chili powder.

Some tips if you plan to cook chickpeas at home:

• Add salt to the water when cooking chickpeas.
• If you cook the chickpeas in a pan, the prep time will be over 60 minutes. To lessen the time, use a pressure cooker.
• When boiling the chickpeas, add a few drops of oil to reduce foaming and frothing. Cook without the lid if the water froths excessively.

Storage Suggestions

This Indian chickpea salad tastes best when freshly consumed. It can be refrigerated for up to 1 day in an airtight glass container. But beyond that the salad will lose its crunch and the vegetables will be soggy.

You can make it ahead of time by keeping everything ready in the refrigerator and adding the dressing just before serving.

Variations:

• Greens and vegetables: To this salad, you can add any vegetables of your choice - bell pepper, lettuce, kale, arugula, spinach etc.
• Avocado: Adding avocado will lend this salad a creamy texture.
• Cheese: If desired, top your salad with some fresh mozzarella or feta cheese.
• Indian Chana Chaat: Add green cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney to make a Chana Chaat. Garnish the chaat with sev before serving. Trust me it's finger licking good.
• Potato: You can add boiled potato to make Aloo Chana Chat. You can even add roasted sweet potato if you like.
• Yogurt: Adding a little whisked yogurt along with the chutney takes it to the next level.
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: Add tahini sauce for the Mediterranean touch.
• Curried Chickpea Salad: Add curry powder to make a curried chickpea salad.
• Quinoa Chickpea Salad: Adding cooked quinoa or couscous can make this salad a complete meal.

Common Questions

More Chickpea Recipes

Enjoy a few more Indian chickpea dishes from our collection

• Chana Masala
• Chickpea Curry with Spinach (Chana Saag)
• Kala Chana Chaat (Black Chickpea Salad)
• Kala Chana Curry
• Fruit Chaat