This vegan chickpea veggies salad features loads of fresh veggies like broccoli, zucchini, kale, onion and peppers in a delicious lemon tahini sauce.

A bowl of chickpea veggie salad with onion, kale, zucchini and bell pepper.

This chickpea veggie salad is a great option for a weeknight dinner or anytime you need to throw together a quick, healthy meal with simple ingredients.

It’s endlessly customizable and perfect for cleaning out the fridge. You can add extra ingredients, swap out the veggies or kale, try adding grains or different legumes or try a different dressing.

You can whip up this healthy salad in about 20 minutes with no cooking needed so it’s perfect for a lazy meal that’s still super nourishing.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

  • It only takes 20 minutes to make.
  • It’s easily customizable with different veggies, grains and beans.
  • It’s perfect for cleaning out the fridge.
  • It’s high in fiber and plant-based protein.
  • It’s hearty and filling so it makes meal!
  • It’s great for potlucks, BBQs and picnics.
  • It stores well so you can make it for meal prep.
  • It’s allergy-friendly! Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and can be nut-free.
  • The lemon tahini dressing is delicious.

Ingredient Notes

Zucchini, bell pepper, almonds, lemons, kale and red onion sitting on a textured surface.
  • Chickpeas: You’ll need 1 28 oz can or 2 14 oz cans, drained and rinsed. If you’re cooking chickpeas from scratch, it’s about 3 cups cooked chickpeas.
  • Almonds: Use chopped raw almonds or slivered almonds. You can substitute walnuts, pecans or any seed you like to make the recipe nut-free.
  • Sunflower Seeds: Use raw sunflower seeds or substitute pepitas.
  • Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli. You can add it to the salad raw or lightly steam or blanche it first if you prefer. Roasted or steamed cauliflower would be a good substitute.
  • Kale: Use any variety of kale or substitute Swiss chard or collard greens.
  • Zucchini: Green zucchini (courgette) or yellow summer squash works. Cucumber works as a substitute.
  • Red Onion: Use red onion or shallot.
  • Bell Pepper: Any colour of bell pepper works. Try red, green, orange or yellow.
  • Raisins: Optional but add a delicious sweet bite to the salad. You can use raisins, cranberries or chopped dates.
  • Tahini: Look for a smooth, creamy tahini that’s not overly bitter.
  • Lemon: You’ll need 1-2 fresh lemons to make the 1/4 cup of lemon juice for the dressing.
  • Maple Syrup: Helps to balance out the acidity of the dressing, though it is optional if you want to skip it.

How to Make this Salad

Start by massaging the kale with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. This softens the kale and reduces the bitterness. You can also add a pinch of salt if you like.

Large glass bowl with chopped kale tossed with minced garlic.

Chop up the rest of the veggies and almonds and add everything to the bowl with the kale.

Large mixing bowl of zucchini, bell pepper, kale and red onion. Two pieces of broccoli and some almonds are beside the bowl.

Add all of the tahini dressing ingredients to a container and whisk or shake until completely smooth. Adjust the consistency if needed with a little extra water. It should be thick but still creamy and pourable.

Jar of creamy tahini maple dijon mustard dressing on a marble counter with a bowl of chopped kale in the background.

Mix everything up, season with salt and pepper if you like, and enjoy!

Overhead view of a bowl and two plates of chickpea veggie salad with almonds, chopped veggies and a creamy dressing.

Alternative Dressings

Here are a few salad dressing variations you can try:

Chickpea veggie salad with almonds, sunflower seeds, bell pepper, kale and broccoli topped with lemon tahini dressing on a plate.

Storing Instructions

  • This salad can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
  • If making in advance, store the dressing separately until about an hour before serving. This will keep help keep the salad fresh but still give some tip for the flavours to mix.
  • The dressing can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for a week. It may thicken after storing but can be thinned out by stirring in a bit of water.

More Chickpea Salads

I have to many delicious chickpea salads for you to try! Here are a few favourites:

Try this salad with quinoa beet burgers, veggie chickpea burgers or marinated herb tempeh.

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A bowl of chickpea veggie salad with onion, kale, zucchini and bell pepper.

Easy Chickpea Veggie Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 5 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This crunchy chickpea veggie salad is loaded with nutrition thanks to broccoli, zucchini, kale, red pepper, red onion and almonds. Bonus: you only need 20 minutes to make this simple but delicious meal!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Salad

  • 28 oz can or 2 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed (approx. 3 cups)
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds, chopped (75 g)
  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (40 g)
  • 3 cups chopped broccoli (225 g)
  • 1 cup diced zucchini
  • 1 cup diced red onion (150 g)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 heaping cup, 175 g)
  • 5 cups chopped kale, stems removed (150 g)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing

Instructions

  1. De-stem the kale, cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to massage the kale with the lemon and olive oil for 1-2 minutes to soften.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and chop all the veggies and the almonds.
  3. To make the lemon tahini sauce, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Add a little water to adjust the consistency, if needed.
  4. Add everything to the bowl with the kale and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  5. Serve immediately or store in the fridge up to 4 days in a sealed container. If storing, store the dressing separately until before serving to help keep the salad fresher.

Notes

This makes 5 large meal-sized servings. Could serve 6-8 as a side.

Keywords: chickpea veggie salad, healthy chickpea salad

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