Simple Chickpea Egg Salad

Here is my go-to chickpea egg salad recipe, combining the classic flavors of a traditional egg salad with protein-packed chickpeas, fresh herbs, and a creamy mayo dressing that brings it all together.

This chickpea egg salad has become my lunchtime staple – it’s perfect for meal prep and always hits the spot. I like to make a big batch on Sundays so I can have quick, satisfying lunches ready to go all week long. Who doesn’t love an easy make-ahead meal?

Which Kind of Chickpeas Should I Use?

For chickpea salad, canned chickpeas are perfectly fine and save you lots of time compared to cooking dried ones. Any brand of canned chickpeas will work well here – just make sure to drain and rinse them thoroughly to remove the excess sodium and starchy liquid. If you’re watching your salt intake, look for low-sodium varieties at your grocery store. While you could cook dried chickpeas from scratch, the texture of canned ones actually works better for this recipe since they’re typically softer and easier to mash. Just give them a quick mash with a fork or potato masher until they’re broken down but still have some texture – you don’t want them completely smooth.

Options for Substitutions

This plant-based recipe is super adaptable! Here are some handy swaps you can try:

• Chickpeas: While chickpeas are the star here, you could use white beans or butter beans instead. Just make sure to mash them well for the right texture.
• Cashew mayo: No cashew mayo? Try regular vegan mayo, or make a quick substitute by blending silken tofu with a bit of lemon juice, mustard, and salt.
• Indian black salt: This ingredient gives the eggy flavor, but if you can’t find it, regular sea salt works fine – you’ll just miss that egg-like taste. There’s no real substitute for this unique flavor.
• Fresh dill: You can use 1 teaspoon dried dill instead, or swap it out for fresh parsley or chives.
• Capers: If you’re not a fan of capers or don’t have them, try chopped pickles or green olives for that briny taste.
• Green onions: Red onions or shallots work great too – just dice them finely. If using regular onions, soak them in cold water for 10 minutes first to reduce their sharp bite.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making chickpea egg salad is not draining and drying your chickpeas properly – excess moisture can make your salad watery and dilute the flavors, so make sure to pat them thoroughly with paper towels after rinsing. Another common error is mashing the chickpeas too finely, which can turn your salad into a paste – aim for a chunky texture by using a potato masher or fork and leaving some pieces slightly bigger. For the most authentic egg-like flavor, don’t skip the Indian black salt (kala namak) – regular salt won’t give you that distinctive sulfuric taste that makes this salad taste remarkably like real egg salad. To keep your salad fresh and crunchy, add the celery and green onions just before serving, and if you’re meal prepping, store the vegetables separately from the chickpea mixture until ready to eat.

What to Serve With Chickpea Egg Salad?

This protein-packed chickpea salad works great as a sandwich filling, but there are lots of other fun ways to serve it! Try scooping it onto a bed of mixed greens with some extra fresh vegetables for a light lunch, or serve it with crispy crackers and raw veggie sticks for easy snacking. For a more filling meal, pair it with a bowl of tomato soup or your favorite vegetable-based soup. I also like to stuff it into pita pockets with cucumber slices and sprouts, or wrap it up in lettuce leaves for a low-carb option that’s still super satisfying.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This chickpea egg salad stays good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors actually get better after a day or two as everything mingles together! It’s perfect for making on Sunday and having ready-to-go lunches all week long.

Meal Prep: You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time – chop the celery and green onions, mix the spices, and make the cashew mayo. When you’re ready to eat, just combine everything and you’ll have a fresh batch in minutes. If you’re packing it for lunch, keep the bread separate and assemble your sandwich just before eating to prevent sogginess.

Note: I don’t recommend freezing this salad since the texture of the vegetables and cashew mayo won’t hold up well. The fresh, crispy texture is part of what makes this dish so good!

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	0-0 minutes
Total Time	30-40 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 700-800
• Protein: 30-35 g
• Fat: 40-45 g
• Carbohydrates: 60-70 g

Ingredients

For the chickpea egg salad:

• 2 tsp capers
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp pepper (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2/3 cup cashew mayo
• 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp Indian black salt (kala namak, for an eggy flavor)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (I like Grey Poupon)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup diced celery (finely diced, about 1/4-inch pieces)

For serving:

• tomato
• sourdough bread
• cucumbers
• baby bell peppers
• lettuce

Step 1: Prepare and Chop the Chickpeas

Begin by draining the aquafaba from two 15-ounce cans of organic chickpeas, setting the liquid aside for future use if desired.

In a mini food processor, chop the drained chickpeas to achieve a chunky texture.

Alternatively, you can use a large food processor and pulse the chickpeas to get the right mixture of whole, crushed, and half pieces.

Transfer the chopped chickpeas to a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients

Add 2/3 cup of cashew mayo to the bowl with the chickpeas.

Feel free to substitute with unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, sunflower seed mayo, silken tofu, or white beans if preferred.

Stir in 1 tablespoon each of Dijon mustard and yellow mustard to enhance the flavor and creaminess of the salad.

Step 3: Add Vegetables and Seasonings

Incorporate 1/2 cup of diced celery and 1/2 cup of diced green onions into the chickpea mixture for added crunch.

Season the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper.

Stir everything together until the chopped chickpeas and veggies are well-coated with the mayo-mustard mixture.

Step 4: Enhance the Flavor

Add 1/2 teaspoon of Indian black salt (optional), which provides an egg-like flavor to the salad.

Mix in 1 tablespoon of fresh dill for a bright, herbal note (or 1/2 tablespoon if using dried dill).

Optionally, incorporate 2 teaspoons of capers to complement the flavors and add a tangy bite.

Step 5: Chill the Salad

Refrigerate the prepared chickpea egg salad for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill, enhancing its refreshing taste.

Step 6: Serve Creatively

Once chilled, enjoy the chickpea egg salad in various serving styles.

Serve it on fresh sourdough bread, in a hollowed-out tomato, in lettuce wraps, or in halved baby bell peppers.

For a fun and elegant presentation, use a cookie cutter to create canopy sandwiches with bread.

Top the bread shapes with the chickpea egg salad and add greens for extra freshness.