Chickpea Veggie Salad
on Jan 01, 2019, Updated Jul 18, 2024
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This vegan chickpea veggies salad features loads of fresh veggies like broccoli, zucchini, kale, onion and peppers in a delicious lemon tahini sauce.
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
- 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.
Chop up the rest of the veggies and almonds and add everything to the bowl with the kale.
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.
Mix everything up, season with salt and pepper if you like, and enjoy!
Alternative Dressings
Here are a few salad dressing variations you can try:
- Maple Dijon Dressing
- Almond Lime Dressing
- Miso Tahini Dressing
- Glory Bowl Dressing
- Ranch Tahini Dressing
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.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Easy Chickpea Veggie Salad
Ingredients
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
- 6 tbsp tahini, 90 g
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup water, or more as needed to adjust consistency
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
Instructions
- 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.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and chop all the veggies and the almonds.
- 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.
- Add everything to the bowl with the kale and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- 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.
This is just like deli broccoli salad but with chickpeas and healthy. It’s my husband’s favorite salad at this time. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! So happy you guys like it!
Hi Deryn,
I love your site and everything you post here! Your recipes are excellent and I really appreciate the study you have published here on inflammation.
One thing I wish there was, is an index list or some easier way to browse your salad dressings and sauces. I find I can only do this by going through every recipe, salad, etc. just something to think about. Your dressings can be interchanged and be staples for everyday menus.
Thank you for all you are doing to support our growing plant-based community. I am 65 and live on a small social security check each month and $70 of food stamps. Your website and free information has changed my life. I could not do this if I had to buy a lot of books and take courses.
Our planet appreciates you!!
Peace,
Julia
Astoria, Oregon
Thank you for the feedback, Julia. I will definitely think about how I can do that. I’m so very happy to hear you’ve been finding my site helpful! All the best.
Another amazing fresh easy unique delicious recipe that I love so much!!! I added halloumi to it for a bit of protein, and it worked a treat!
It’s look easy, delicious. I will definitely try this for my family. Thanks for sharing your post.
I have already made. Very delicious and easy to make. Also, it is very healthy. Thank you for sharing.
The colors are so vibrant and I’m sure the taste is even more spectacular. It is healthy and tasty. Thanks for sharing.
No need to skip the spinach if people prefer it! Just pack it on the side 🙂
That said, this recipe looks like a great make-ahead lunch option 🙂
What a great recipe idea for fall! I’m always looking for variety with kale and broccoli and you’ve nailed it! I look forward to trying this recipe!
Wow – both of these look like great recipes. Chickpeas and broccoli go so well together. 🙂