Smashed Curry Chickpea Salad

This easy to make smashed curry chickpea salad is the perfect combination of sweet with a hint of spice. The smashed chickpeas are mixed with sweet raisins, sharp red onion, and a hint of balsamic vinegar all tossed in a curried sauce. Chickpea curry salad is versatile and best enjoyed for lunch or a quick healthy dinner as a sandwich, wrap or on top of a bed of greens! 

Note: This recipe was originally published on February 9, 2021. It was republished with updated photos including helpful step-by-step instructions on August 2, 2024. 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• You can make this recipe in just 10 minutes! It is great to make for a last minute lunch or even a quick healthy dinner. 
• It is dairy-free and vegan. While you can choose to use regular mayo or even Greek yogurt in the curry sauce, I usually opt for vegan mayonnaise. Chickpeas are also a great source of plant based protein.
• Curried chickpea salad is perfect for meal prep. It makes 4 servings and stores well in the fridge all week! 

Ingredient Notes

• Chickpeas - you will need one can of chickpeas for this recipe. I recommend using low-sodium chickpeas.
• Red Onion - this will add sharpness to each bit that helps cut through the curry and chickpeas.
• Raisins - add a necessary element of sweetness to the salad.
• Balsamic vinegar - cuts through the rest of the flavors by providing a subtle tangy element.
• Mayonnaise - I use vegan mayonnaise for this but you can also use regular mayo or even Greek yogurt.  
• Curry powder - gets mixed into the mayo to make a curried mayo sauce.
• Maple syrup - adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce. 
• Salt and pepper - used to flavor the salad. I recommend adding ¼ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. 
• Optional ingredients - if you want to make a sandwich I recommend using cinnamon raisin bread! Or use tortillas to make a chickpea salad wrap. Add additional toppings such as sliced tomatoes, red onion, lettuce or sprouts.

Substitutions and Variations

• Wrap - serve chickpea salad in a wrap with desired toppings instead of as a sandwich.
• Salad - enjoy smashed chickpea salad on top of a bed of greens and diced fresh vegetables. Top it all off with a homemade maple balsamic vinaigrette!
• Without mayo - you can use regular yogurt, Greek yogurt or vegan yogurt. Another method is to use hummus in place of the mayonnaise. Make sure to add water to the hummus to thin it out a bit to help it create more of a sauce. 
• Apple - add in ½ cup of diced green apple for extra crunch and tartness!
• White beans - if you don’t have chickpeas you can swap in another white bean such as cannellini beans or great northern beans.
• Cranberries - you can use dried cranberries in place of raisins.

Step by Step Instructions

Put the chickpeas on a rimmed dish or cutting board and use the back of a fork to smash them. Aim to mash about 75% of the chickpeas.  

Mix the vegan mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together in a small bowl. 

Add the mashed chickpeas to a bowl with the diced red onion, raisins and curry sauce.

Mix well until evenly coated. Taste and adjust favors as needed. Serve on toasted cinnamon raisin bread, put it in a wrap or add it to a salad. 

Hint: you can use a food processor to quickly combine all of the ingredients and help mash the chickpeas. Throw all the ingredients into the food processor and pulse it about 5 times until the chickpeas are mashed. Finish mixing the chickpea salad by hand to prevent over blending in the food processor.

Tips and Tricks

• Personally I do not like a lot of mayo so this recipe is light in mayo. If you are a mayo lover, feel free to add a few more tablespoons to the curry sauce. 
• If your red onion is too strong you can soak it in water for 10 minutes to help mellow out the flavor. Alternatively, feel free to use green onions instead.

Storing

Store the chickpea salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is best served cold or room temperature. I do not recommend freezing this salad. 

Frequently Asked Questions