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This Vegan Chickpea Salad is one of the most-loved recipes on Veggie Inspired — and once you try it, you’ll understand why. Creamy, savory, just a little sweet from fresh grapes, and packed with the classic flavors of a great chicken salad — all made with chickpeas in just 10 minutes. Whether you pile it high on toasted
bread, scoop it onto crackers, or spoon it over leafy greens, this recipe delivers every single time.
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Before I embraced a plant-based diet, I made a chicken salad that was always the hit of every party. I wanted to recreate those beloved flavors — and I think this version is even better. Readers agree: this recipe has been shared over 24,000 times and the comments speak for themselves
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in just 10 minutes
- 8 simple ingredients
- Completely vegan and dairy-free
- Incredibly versatile — sandwich, salad, cracker dip, or straight from the bowl
- Perfect for meal prep — keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days
- Lunchbox friendly — dairy-free so no worrying about it sitting out
- Crowd-pleasing — omnivores love it just as much as plant-based eaters
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes
- Chickpeas ~ Canned chickpeas work perfectly here — just drain and rinse them very well under cold water to remove any excess salt, starch, or metallic flavor from the can. Chickpeas cooked from scratch also work beautifully. One 15-ounce can equals about 1½ cups cooked.
- Celery ~ Adds a satisfying crunch to an otherwise creamy dish. Dice it fairly small so the salad holds together well.
- Green onions ~ The mild, delicate onion flavor is perfect here. If you prefer a sharper bite, swap in diced red onion instead.
- Grapes ~ Red or green grapes both work — they add a burst of fresh, juicy sweetness that balances the savory flavors beautifully. Halve or quarter them depending on their size. Don’t have grapes? Diced apple or pineapple are delicious substitutes.
- Vegan mayo ~ Traditional mayo is made from eggs, but there are several excellent vegan versions available. Follow Your Heart Vegenaise is a favorite, but Hellmann’s and Sir Kensington’s both make vegan versions too. Homemade vegan mayo also works perfectly. For a lighter version, substitute unsweetened plain vegan yogurt.
- Dijon mustard ~ Adds depth and a little tang that takes this from good to great. If you’re sensitive to mustard flavor, start with half the amount and add more to taste.
- Poultry seasoning ~ This is the secret ingredient that gives the salad that classic “chicken salad” flavor without any chicken. It’s a blend of sage, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram all in one convenient spice. If you don’t have it on hand, use a pinch of each of those spices individually.
- Dried dill ~ Adds a subtle herby freshness that complements the other flavors beautifully. Use fresh dill if you have it, but don’t skip it altogether.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
Drain the canned chickpeas and rinse them well under cold water. Transfer them to a mixing bowl (1). Using a potato masher or a fork, slightly smash the chickpeas (2) so the mixture will hold together. You don’t have to mash them all, a few left whole or partially whole is great for texture.
Add the remaining ingredients (3) and mix well to combine (4).
Serving suggestions
One of the best things about this recipe is how versatile it is:
- As a sandwich — piled high on toasted bread with a thick slice of tomato and avocado
- In a pita — stuffed into a whole wheat pita with lettuce and tomato
- Over leafy greens — as a salad topped with diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and thinly sliced radishes
- With crackers — garnished with quick pickled red onions for a beautiful appetizer
- In the lunchbox — pack it alongside crackers and fresh fruit for a complete lunch. Since it’s dairy-free you don’t need to worry about it sitting out until lunchtime
- Straight from the bowl — we won’t judge
Variations and substitutions
Readers have gotten so creative with this recipe over the years — here are some tried and tested variations worth trying:
Swap the grapes: Diced apple is the most popular substitute and works beautifully. Pineapple chunks add a tropical twist. Dried figs or cranberries add a chewy sweetness.
Add some crunch: Chopped walnuts, almonds, pecans, or pumpkin seeds add a lovely texture contrast.
Make it lighter: Replace some or all of the vegan mayo with unsweetened plain vegan yogurt for a tangier, lighter version.
Skip the mustard: If you’re sensitive to strong mustard flavor, start with half the amount or leave it out entirely. The poultry seasoning carries plenty of flavor on its own.
Make it nut-free: This recipe is already nut-free as written — just ensure your vegan mayo brand is nut-free if that’s a concern.
Make it gluten-free: The salad itself is gluten-free — just serve it over greens or with gluten-free crackers instead of bread.
Pro tips for success
Rinse the chickpeas really well. A thorough rinse under cold water removes excess salt and any metallic flavor from the can.
Smash most, but not all of the chickpeas. The goal is a chunky, cohesive salad — not a smooth paste. Leave about a quarter of the chickpeas whole for texture.
Dice everything fairly small. Especially the celery and green onions — smaller pieces help the salad stay together and make it easier to spread or scoop.
Let it rest. This salad is great immediately but even better after an hour or two in the fridge when the flavors have had time to meld. Make it ahead whenever you can!
Taste and adjust. Everyone’s tastes are different — don’t be shy about adding more dill, more mayo, more mustard, or a pinch more salt until it tastes perfect to you.
Storage and freezing
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Give it a quick stir before serving as it may thicken slightly as it sits.
Make ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead recipe — the flavors actually improve as they mingle overnight. Double or triple the batch on Sunday and enjoy it all week.
Freezer: This salad is really best eaten fresh, but it can be frozen for up to 4 months in a freezer-safe container. Note that the texture of the celery and grapes will soften upon thawing.
FAQs
Canned chickpeas are the most convenient and work perfectly. One 15-ounce can equals about 1½ cups. Just drain and rinse them thoroughly. Chickpeas cooked from scratch also work great if you have them on hand.
Yes! Substitute unsweetened plain vegan yogurt for a lighter, tangier version. Some readers also use mashed avocado for a different flavor profile.
Absolutely — this is one of the best make-ahead lunches around. It keeps beautifully in the fridge for 4-5 days and the flavors actually improve overnight as the flavors mingle.
More easy vegan lunch recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Chickpea Salad (The Best Vegan Chicken Salad!)
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 rib celery diced
- 2 green onions sliced
- ½ cup halved grapes or quartered if they are large
- 2 tablespoons homemade vegan mayonaise or your favorite store-bought vegan mayo
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- dash of salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, slightly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
INKEN GADDASS
Love love love it! I tweaked your recipe a little because I can’t eat grapes or mustard as they cause acid reflux 🙁 Replaced the grapes with chopped dried figs and added a few chopped almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch and extra protein. Nice on a fresh soft ciabatta with some lettuce and sliced tomato. Even my omnivore husband likes it.
Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen
Sounds delicious! I’m glad you were able to make it work for you. Thank you so much for your comment and feedback.
Emily
I really wanted to like this but thought the flavor pairings were gross. I tried to add more of anything to save it but just couldn’t. I had to throw the batch away because it was just inedible to me.
Jenn Sebestyen
What flavors did you not like? This is a classic chicken salad recipe, just made with chickpeas instead of chicken. Of course, everyone has different tastes, but this is the first negative review I’ve had on this recipe, so I’m just curious what specifically went wrong for you.
Emily
I’ve never had chicken salad before ha. I just found this sharp and pungent in an off putting way. I was mainly just looking for a new way to prepare chickpeas, but maybe the spice combination just wasn’t for me. I made a different, random chickpea recipe yesterday with tomatoes and spices and liked that a lot more.
Jenn Sebestyen
Fair enough. It’s probably the dijon mustard that is too strong of a taste for you. You can leave that out next time if you want to try again. Thank you for your response!
Kelly Root
Very Good. Nice taste and I will make it again. Next time I will omit the salt, the chicken seasoning was enough salt for me.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your comment!
Annmarie M
Delicious & super easy & quick to make. Also, I had to leave out the pineapples because I’m on a sugar-free diet, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! Also, I used my over 20 years old black & decker mini chopper to finely chop the celery and that helped to make it even faster!
Jenn Sebestyen
Yay! Happy to hear you loved it!
Carla
Simple and delicious. I loved how quick and easy it was to prepare. Lots of grapes (and celery) made it more flavorful.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you, Carla! So happy you enjoyed it!
Martha Crow
This is the absolute best! I make a big batch on the weekend and then take it to work for lunch. I like that it doesn’t have mayo, so I don’t worry about it spoiling between the start of work and lunch. I’ve taken it to BBQs and everyone raves about it. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Jenn Sebestyen
Thanks, Martha! So glad you love!
Jessie
HOLY VEGAN COW this is good!! I’ll admit, I was hesitant. I just found this recipe after a Google search for vegan chicken salad, and I’m more of a sweet, anti-mustard type personality. And this combination freaked me out a bit, but I’m making it for a guest tomorrow, so I decided to stick to the recipe since the reviews were all glowing. Only thing I changed was I traded the grapes for apples because I didn’t have grapes, and I’m blown away. Thanks so much for sharing! I’m celebrating almost 7 months vegan, and I’m slowly replacing all my old recipes. This one is officially my new “chicken” salad. Thanks so much!
Jenn Sebestyen
This makes me so happy. Thank you for your feedback, Jessie! I’m so excited you love it!
Diane Cameron
I liked this but I think it needs more mayo plus more grapes to give it more creaminess and sweetness.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thanks for your feedback, Diane! Glad you enjoyed it.