This Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken” Salad features all the classic flavors of chicken salad but with a healthy, vegetarian take.
Inspiration for this chickpea chicken salad
Inspiration for this chickpea chicken saladThis chickpea salad is a lighter and vegetarian take on chicken salad and is largely inspired by a version my sister made this summer. Her salad used just a touch of mayo for the base and had the usual suspects of chicken salad, much like this one.
For my rendition I decided to swap the mayonnaise for mashed avocado. Avocado offers just as much—if not more—creaminess and of course, healthy fats. I also add Greek yogurt for some tang along with white wine vinegar for acidity.
Tossed with a mix of tender chickpeas, crunchy celery, red onion, and fresh parsley this super-simple salad comes together in no time.
Make vegan chickpea chicken salad
Make vegan chickpea chicken salad To make this chickpea chicken salad vegan, simply swap the ¼ cup of Greek yogurt for cashew cream or your favorite vegan yogurt.
How to serve this vegetarian “chicken” salad
How to serve this vegetarian “chicken” saladSuch a simple ingredient list may cause this salad to look mundane, yet it’s anything but that, striking the perfect balance between textures and flavors. Refreshing and healthy, this creamy salad is one you can feel good about.
Enjoy this chickpea salad as is, or try these variations:
- Sandwich between two pieces of toasted whole-grain bread
- Spoon into lettuce cups
- Serve in tortillas with thinly sliced cabbage
Chickpea “Chicken” Salad with Avocado Dressing
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Vegetarian Chickpea “Chicken” Salad features all the classic flavors of chicken salad but with a healthy, vegetarian take.
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 ripe avocado
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (0% or 2%)
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper to taste
Salad:
- 2 cans reduced-sodium chickpeas (15-ounces each), rinsed and drained
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- ¾ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Instructions
In a large bowl, mash avocado until smooth. Whisk in yogurt, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder; season with black pepper.
Add chickpeas, celery, onion, and parsley to avocado mixture. Stir to combine then chill until ready to serve.
Keeps up to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container.
Notes
Make it vegan: use ¼ cup cashew cream instead of Greek yogurt
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 182
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 771mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Chickpea chicken salad, vegan chicken salad, vegetarian chicken salad
