This curry chickpea salad is so quick to make and delicious anytime of day! With raisins, crunchy veggies, and vegan mayo, it's colorful, nutritious, and packing major curry flavor!
There's a cafe in my hometown where I used to meet my mom for lunch. It's a gourmet market/prepared foods-deli type of place, and they served a curry chicken salad sandwich that was a favorite of hers.
I'm not sure what reminded me of it recently, but it set in motion a serious craving for a vegan curry chickpea salad!
My version is made with homemade vegan aquafaba mayo, mild curry powder, fresh carrot and bell pepper, plus sweet golden raisins. The spices and contrasting flavors and textures make it totally irresistible!
What You'll Need
This recipe makes enough chickpea salad for 3 to 4 people. So if you're serving a crowd or want to enjoy leftovers over the next few days, go ahead and double the recipe.
Here's a quick summary of the ingredients. Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe.
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas or about 2 cups - if using my aquafaba mayo recipe for the chickpea salad, it works well to make them in tandem. Open a can of chickpeas, and drain and reserve the liquid (aquafaba). Rinse the chickpeas, and set them aside while you prepare the mayo.
- Oil-free aquafaba mayo or your favorite vegan mayonnaise
- mild curry powder - this is a blend of spices and can be found in most grocery stores.
- onion and garlic powder - for additional savory flavor
- maple syrup or other sweetener - adds nice balance and complements the curry flavors.
- raisins, golden or regular
- yellow, orange, or red bell pepper - optional but I really love the crunch, color and sweetness it adds
- carrot - diced celery is also great
- and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice, optional
And for the optional but very tasty and highly recommended, quick pickled red onion:
- about one-quarter of a large red onion (or half of a small one)
- rice vinegar
How to Make Curry Chickpea Salad
Making a quick batch of this tasty vegan chickpea salad is as easy as you'd expect.
- First, whisk the curry powder and seasonings into the mayo.
- Marinate the onions in vinegar and soak the raisins in water to plump them up.
- Chop the carrots and peppers.
- Mash some of the garbanzo beans to help it hold together and for varying textures. Then drain the raisins and onion, and mix everything together!
Taste and adjust the seasonings, and make it as spicy and/or sweet as you like.
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Serving Suggestions
Enjoy your curry chickpea salad on toasted bread or crackers, wrapped up inside a whole-grain tortilla, or on top of a salad.
It's also fantastic on top of baked or roasted potatoes and rice bowls.
Tomato slices, fresh cilantro, green onions? Whatever you fancy, throw it on top!
Curried chickpea salad makes a great appetizer or snack for parties and on game day!
Variations
Not in the mood for chickpeas? Plenty of other plant-based proteins can serve as the base like:
- white beans
- shredded seitan
- steamed tempeh or tofu
- rehydrated and cooked soy curls
- or store-bought vegan chicken strips
Want some spicy heat? Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, or choose a spicy curry powder instead of mild.
How to Store
Store leftover curried chickpea salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
More Sandwich Fillings
- Best Vegan Sandwiches to Pack for Lunch
- Vegan Tuna Salad
- Vegan BLT With Tempeh AND Carrot Bacon
- Vegan Chicken Salad
If you try this Curry Chickpea Salad I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment and star rating below to let us know. Enjoy!
Recipe
Curry Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
For the optional quick-pickled onion:
- ¼ large red onion, sliced thinly
- a few tablespoons rice vinegar
For curry chickpea salad:
- ½ cup golden raisins - Also try currants, cranberries, or regular Thompson seedless raisins.
- ½ cup Oil-Free Vegan Aquafaba Mayo - Or ⅓ cup other vegan mayo.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder - Start with lesser amount then adjust to taste.
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- 1 ¾ cups cooked chickpeas - Or 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas; the aquafaba liquid can be used to make the oil-free mayo linked above.
- half of a large yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- black pepper
Instructions
- Place sliced onion in a shallow bowl and cover with rice vinegar. Set aside.
- To soften and plump the raisins, place in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, maple syrup, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Taste, and add more curry powder, if desired (remember, it will taste more subdued once the chickpeas and veggies are added).
- Drain the raisins and add them to the bowl along with the chickpeas, pepper, and carrot. Stir to combine and distribute the dressing. Use a fork to mash some of the chickpeas (as many as you like). Taste again, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Drain the onion. Serve as a garnish, or dice it and fold into the chickpea salad.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Melanie says
This was easy and very tasty. I used homemade tofu mayo. I didn’t have any raisins so I used an apple. I chopped the apple and carrots in the food processor. I was concerned about the apple turning dark since I ate this over several days but that didn’t happen. Next time I’ll try the pickled onions with it.
Susan says
This is now my goto sandwich salad. I also make your no oil mayo that is fantastic. I usually eat this on a wrap and just love the tangy/curry flavor and crunchy/creamy texture!
Emily says
I have made this at least 5 times, it’s so easy and it never disappoints. Great balance of sweet spicy and creamy, and a blend of textures.
I usually skip the pickled onion and don’t bother plumping the raisins (less fuss) and it’s still wonderful. Works really well as a wrap, I feel like you can get a better portion of the salad filling that way, but I’ve made them as regular sandwiches too.
Coby says
What a delicious sandwich! I love anything with curry, and the raisins are a great compliment to the flavors. In anticipation of an upcoming roadtrip, I've been experimenting with recipes from your list of vegan sandwiches that travel well, and this sandwich is definitely going with me! I loved it!
Lara says
This is a nice change from my "standard" chickpea salad which has black salt in it to make it "eggy." Sometimes it gets TOO salty. I will make it again!
Lori says
That's great to hear, Lara. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Lauren Vaught says
Curry everything is always good for me, but I want my guy to like it, too. This recipe does it! He actually liked the raisins in there, so that's a big win! Made this delicious salad for a wrap that will travel with us on a hiking/glamping trip.
Lori says
Yeah!! So glad you both liked it. I don't usually like fruit in savory things but love what the raisins add to the creamy curry flavor. Thanks, Lauren. Hope your camping trip is wonderful!
Adel Brindley says
Easy to make and so tastey!! Worked well in my pita bread too. Thanks for the recipe.
Sally says
I'm a lazy cook, and not a good one either. This recipe was so easy and the outcome so delicious!
Lori says
Hooray for easy! Glad you enjoyed it, Sally. 😀
Karen Ricketts says
Delicious! So many great flavors and textures. It's nice to have a new sandwich - thank you!
Lori says
So glad you enjoyed it, Karen! 😀
susan says
Thank you for this recipe. I love curried dishes and look forward to trying it. Also will try the other protein options you included, tofu and tempeh.
Lori says
You're very welcome! Hope you enjoy it. 😀