Chickpea Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing
Creamy chickpeas, crunchy veggies and the most delicious dressing come together to make this chickpea salad. It’s filling, satisfying and bursting with flavor!
When you’re in the mood for a light yet satisfying meal, chickpea salad is what you need to make. The veggies add crunch and freshness, in contrast to the smooth chickpeas. The pomegranate seeds add pops of juicy sweetness and the creamy cashew dressing enhances the salad overall.
This chickpea salad recipe is vegan, gluten-free and dairy free. It is a great option for meal prep as well as lunch boxes. Keep the dressing separate and toss it in just before serving. Enjoy a large serving of this salad as a meal, or pair it with grilled meat.
Why You’ll Love This Chickpea Salad
- Easy and meal prep friendly
- Made with pantry staples
- Will keep you full for long
- Vegan friendly
Chickpea Salad Recipe
This easy and healthy chickpea salad recipe is made with simple ingredients that can be easily found in the pantry. If you are missing an ingredient, please check the substitute ingredients section at the end.
Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Freshly cooked or canned chickpeas.
- Lettuce: Any kind of lettuce or spring mix.
- Bell Peppers: Use a combination of red and yellow bell peppers. Sweet peppers can be used too.
- Cucumber: English or Persian cucumbers work best.
- Carrot: Young or baby carrots add crunch and texture.
- Pomegranate: Juicy pomegranate kernels add a pop of sweetness to the salad.
- Cashews: Soaked whole cashew nuts or cashew butter adds creaminess to the dressing.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the salad dressing.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds flavor to the salad.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice to brighten up the salad.
- Salt and pepper: Added to taste.
How to Make Chickpea Salad
- Prepare the chickpeas: If using canned chickpeas, drain and wash them well. If using dried chickpeas, soak them for 8 hours or overnight and cook until soft.
- Soak the cashew nuts: Soak 1/2 cup of cashew nuts in water for 30 minutes. Skip this step if using cashew butter.
- Prepare the vegetables: Wash and dry the lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber and carrot thoroughly. Dice all the vegetables to roughly the same size as the chickpeas.
- Make the dressing: Add the soaked cashew nuts, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and water to a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- Toss the salad: Add the diced vegetables, pomegranate kernels, chickpeas and dressing to a bowl. Gently mix until well combined and serve.
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Prepping and Storage
- Meal-prep: Store the diced vegetables and dressing separately in the refrigerator. Mix with the dressing just before serving.
- Storage: The diced vegetables and dressing can be stored separately for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The mixed salad can be stored for 1 day in the refrigerator.
Substitute Ingredients
- Cashew nuts/cashew butter: Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or peanuts. Use whole or nut butter versions.
- Pomegranate: Grapes, apples or dried cranberries.
- Fresh garlic: 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
- Other vegetables: Celery, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, spinach, watercress and radishes.
More Salad Recipes You Might Like
Chickpea Salad
This chickpea salad is made with soft chickpeas, crunchy vegetables and a delicious cashew dressing. It's light yet satisfying. Enjoy a large serving of this salad as a meal, or pair it with grilled meat.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 can (250g) chickpeas (cooked, drained and cleaned)
- 8-10 lettuce leaves
- 1 red bell pepper (small)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (small)
- 1 english cucumber (medium)
- 1 carrot (small)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate
Salad Dressing
- 1/2 cup (75g) cashew nuts (or 2 tbsp cashew butter)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup water
- salt and pepper (to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the chickpeas: If using canned chickpeas, drain and wash them well. If using dried chickpeas, soak them for 8 hours or overnight and cook until soft.
- Soak the cashew nuts: Soak 1/2 cup of cashew nuts in water for 30 minutes. Skip this step if using cashew butter.
- Prepare the vegetables: Wash and dry the lettuce, bell peppers, cucumber and carrot thoroughly. Dice all the vegetables to roughly the same size as the chickpeas.
- Make the dressing: Add the soaked cashew nuts, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and water to a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- Toss the salad: Add the diced vegetables, pomegranate kernels, chickpeas and dressing to a bowl. Gently mix until well combined and serve.
NOTES
Substitute Ingredients
Cashew nuts/cashew butter: Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts or peanuts. Use whole or nut butter versions. Pomegranate: Grapes, apples or dried cranberries. Fresh garlic: 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Other vegetables: Celery, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, sweet peppers, spinach, watercress and radishes. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
