Vegan Garbanzo Bean Salad

This quick 15-minute vegan garbanzo bean salad has it all! Smooth and creamy with crowd-pleasing flavors, it’s an easy, oil-free, and budget-friendly meal you can throw together anytime you need a healthy meal or snack. 

A Good-For-You Plant-Based Chickpea Salad

This is your sign to get back to your meal planning journey. Spending some time every week preparing your meals in advance not only helps you stay on track and meet your goals but it can also save you money! Luckily, this oil-free and vegan garbanzo bean salad has your back as the ultimate healthy meal prep recipe.

Garbanzo beans, AKA chickpeas, are a magically versatile ingredient and budget-friendly, too! We love them in this easy hummus recipe and this Texas caviar but in this vegan chickpea salad recipe, they’re mashed until smooth and mixed with fresh veggies and savory seasonings. It’s creamy and briny like our plant-based chickpea tuna salad but is more of an all-purpose salad that’ll please everyone.

Better yet, this delicious mashed chickpea salad takes minutes to prepare and is packed with plant-based protein, making it a winner for meal prep. Stuff it into sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or handmade flour tortillas, top it on a grain bowl or salad, or enjoy it as a satisfying snack with veggies or crackers (like these rosemary vegan crackers). The serving options are practically endless!

Looking for more creative ways to use the cans of chickpeas in your cupboard? Check out our BBQ chickpea wraps, chocolate chickpea bark, and quinoa chickpea patties.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

What Could I Add to Garbanzo Bean Salad?

• Acid: A splash of fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or the reserved dill pickle juice adds some tang to the smashed chickpea salad.
• Vegan mayonnaise: A scoop of vegan mayonnaise or vegan Greek yogurt adds a nice creaminess here (although the recipe will no longer be oil-free if you buy store-bought). 
• Onions: Throw in some diced sweet onion, red onion, or green onions.
• Capers: If you’re a fan of the briny flavor from the pickles, some capers will heighten that tangy goodness!
• Fresh herbs: Like fresh parsley and/or fresh dill.
• More vegetables: Add extra veggies to the mashed chickpea salad to bulk it up! Our favorites are diced cucumber, avocado (check out this guide to avocado), and olives.
• Spice: Add a dash of cayenne powder, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce if you can handle the heat.
• Nori: For that classic “from the sea” tuna flavor, stir a pre-prepared nori seasoning, finely shredded and crushed nori sheets, or dulse powder into the salad. Remember that a little goes a long way!

How to Make Vegan Garbanzo Bean Salad

Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined.

To speed up the mashing process, pulse the beans in a mini food processor until they’re mostly smooth. Throw the rest of the ingredients into the processor afterward and pulse for 1 to 2 seconds at a time until everything is thoroughly combined.

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Chill the salad in the fridge: As tempting as it will be to assemble and eat this salad ASAP, I highly recommend letting it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) before serving. This is a dish that tastes best on the second day—trust me!
• Play with the consistency: This salad is smooth and creamy, like fish-based tuna salad. However, if you prefer a little more texture and bite, leave some of the chickpeas whole or less smashed.

What to Serve With Vegan Chickpea Salad?

Vegan salad with chickpeas is delicious on its own (pair it with lemon wedges for extra tang) but can also be served as an appetizer, quick side dish, or part of a larger meal. Use these ideas for inspiration:

• On bread: Layer fresh greens, like kale or arugula, on a slice of crusty no knead bread, a bagel, or pita bread. Top with a scoop of the tuna chickpea salad and garnish with pickled red onions or a drizzle of hot sauce. 
• Wraps: For a lighter lunch, add a scoop to a lettuce wrap or a handmade flour tortilla.
• Sandwiches: Stuff it into sandwiches with lettuce, vegan mayo, mashed avocado spread (for oil-free), and sliced tomatoes.
• Salad topping: Use it as a protein-packed topping on a leafy green salad.
• Snack: Scoop up every bite with rosemary vegan crackers, chips, or crudités.

To make it a meal, pair the chickpea salad sandwiches or wraps with this pureed veggie soup, vegan tomato soup, or garlic baked potato wedges on the side.

Storage Instructions

This vegan chickpea tuna salad is a fantastic make-ahead meal. Once it’s assembled, pack it into individual airtight containers and store them in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

You can also freeze the salad for up to 3 months in an airtight container, but the texture and flavor will be somewhat different upon thawing.