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.
This no-cook recipe was inspired by the chicken curry salad from Latte Lounge, a cafe in my hometown. I opted to make this version completely vegan by using chickpeas (AKA garbanzo beans) and vegan mayonnaise!
Smashed chickpea salad pairs well with air fried butternut squash fries, cabbage and carrot salad or broccoli beet salad! If you decide to serve it as a salad on a bed of green I recommend parking it with this sweet balsamic vinaigrette.
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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
Place the chickpeas in a flat bottomed dish with a rim. Baking dishes such as pie plates, baking sheets or rectangular baking dishes work well. This way the chickpeas won’t roll away! Use the back of a fork, or a potato masher to firmly push down on the chickpeas until they burst. Repeat over and over until you have a good amount of smashed beans.
Yes you can use a food processor to make smashed chickpea salad. Put all of the ingredients into the blender and pulse roughly 5 times. You don’t want to over blend it or it will become too smooth.
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Smashed Curry Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 (15) oz can garbanzo beans (low-sodium) drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise or greek yogurt or regular mayo
- ½ cup red onions finely diced
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ teaspoon salt
To Make Sandwiches
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 8 slices cinnamon raisin bread toasted
Instructions
- Strain and rinse the chickpeas under cold water.
- Put the chickpeas on a plate or cutting board and use the back of a fork to smash them. It is up to you how much you want to mush them. I usually leave a few bigger pieces for texture. Try to mash about 75% of the garbanzo beans.
- Add the mashed chickpeas to a bowl with the diced red onion and raisins.
- Mix the vegan mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together in a small bowl.
- Mix the curry sauce into the bowl of smashed chickpeas. Mix well until evenly coated. Adjust favors as needed. Serve on toasted cinnamon raisin bread with sliced tomatoes and lettuce.
Notes
- If you are a mayo lover, feel free to add a few more tablespoons to the curry sauce.
- Swap in regular yogurt or Greek yogurt in place of the vegan mayonnaise if desired.
- If the 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.
- You can use a food processor to quickly combine all of the ingredients and help mash the chickpeas. Simply 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.
Kathleen Greenberg says
We love this recipe and have it once a week! It tastes delicious and it is good for us so it's a win-win in our books!
Emily Toshiko says
Thank you so much for leaving a comment! I'm so happy you are enjoying this recipe. I love how quick and easy it is!
Em says
I love the sweet flavors with hint of spice. I've been enjoying this chickpea salad for lunch!