Curried Chickpea Salad

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This curried chickpea salad is loaded with crunchy veggies and seasoned with yellow curry. It makes for a filling lunch served over greens and it’s great to meal prep!

I’m sure most of you have caught on to the fact that I LOVE anything curry flavored. Traditional Indian and Thai curries, of course. But I’m also obsessed with curried flavored things like this Cracklin’ Cauliflower. Needless to say I’m a curry addict and I’ll add curry powder to just about anything.

Curried protein salads like curried egg salad and curried chicken salad are my favorite and recently I decided to make a plant-based version with chickpeas!

I’m obsessed with it and so is Isaac. We’ve literally made it 4 times in the last few weeks.

Bowl of curried chickpea salad made with chopped red onion, red pepper, cilantro, and dates, served over a bed of greens.

Ingredients Needed for Curried Chickpea Salad

  • chickpeas – the perfect ingredient to add bulk protein. I used canned chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), but you can cook your own if you have the time.
  • bell pepper, celery, red onion – veggies that help to give this salad a great crunch.
  • medjool dates – for some added sweetness.
  • spinach or spring mix – the perfect base to serve this salad on.
  • cilantro – to add flavor.
  • cashews – an optional topping for some added crunch.
  • dressing – a super simple dressing made with olive oil, lime, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, and sea salt

The thing to know about curry powder is that you don’t have to add much. A little goes a long way because it’s so flavorful. Start small and add up to your taste preference!

Bowl of curried chickpea salad made with chopped red onion, red pepper, cilantro, and dates, served over a bed of greens.

Notes & Substitutions

Chickpeas – Like I mentioned, I used canned chickpeas because they’re super easy to use! If you don’t like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans. If you use canned chickpeas there’s no cooking involved in this salad — just a bit of chopping.

Dates – If you’re not a raisin fan of dates you could swap in raisins, dried cherries, prunes or another dried fruit.

Red onion – Don’t love red onion? No worries, substitute yellow onion in it’s place.

Avocado – Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado!

Bowl of curried chickpea salad made with chopped red onion, red pepper, cilantro, and dates, served over a bed of greens.

How to Serve Curried Chickpea Salad

I love meal prepping protein salads because there are so many different ways you can eat them.

I love this curried chickpea salad over greens, in a wrap, as a chickpea salad sandwich and eaten right out of the container with tortilla chips. Make it a meal or just an afternoon snack… I’ve been known to do both!

To store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5.

Bowl of curried chickpea salad made with chopped red onion, red pepper, cilantro, and dates, served over a bed of greens.

More Protein Salad Recipes to Try:

More Chickpea Recipes to Try:

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4.65 from 37 votes

Curried Chickpea Salad

This curried chickpea salad is loaded with crunchy veggies and seasoned with traditional yellow curry. It makes for a filling lunch served over greens! Perfect for meal prep. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • juice from 1/2 a lime
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 15 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 2 celery hearts, chopped
  • 4 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (or 1/2 cup raisins)
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • chopped cashews, optional
  • spinach or spring mix for serving

Instructions 

  • Make dressing: Combine all the dressing ingredients (oil, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, curry powder, maple syrup, salt, turmeric and garam masala) in a large bowl.
  • Mix remaining ingredients: Add chickpeas, celery, red pepper, dates, red onion and cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine.
  • Serve: Serve chickpea salad on a bed of spinach or spring mix and top with cashews, if using.

Video

Notes

Chickpeas – Like I mentioned, I used canned chickpeas because they’re super easy to use! If you don’t like chickpeas you can substitute for another white bean like cannellini beans or Northern beans. If you use canned chickpeas there’s no cooking involved in this salad — just a bit of chopping.
Dates – If you’re not a raisin fan of dates you could swap in raisins, dried cherries, prunes or another dried fruit.
Red onion – Don’t love red onion? No worries, substitute yellow onion in it’s place.
Avocado – Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 22g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: curried chickpea salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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49 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This salad is so delicious! I love curry, and have been looking for ways to get more turmeric into my diet. I served it over greens for lunch, but I love the idea of making a sandwich with it as well. The only change I made was to use tahini in place of the olive oil, as I try not to eat oil too often. It totally worked! Great recipe!

    1. Woo! Sounds absolutely delicious, I am so glad you made and loved this recipe. Great sub using tahini in place of oil, thank you for coming back and sharing your review & star rating. I appreciate it!

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