Vegan Chickpea Salad

If you are craving a vegan equivalent to a chicken or tuna salad sandwich, you’ll love this recipe. The mixture of chickpeas, tofu, and spices makes for a salad that’s got chewy goodness and full depth of flavor.

This salad recipe works with sandwiches, wraps, or as a salad topping.

We’ve also included a recipe for vegan mayonnaise if you’d like to make your own.

Vegan Chickpea Salad

This recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients

• 1 packet firm or extra-firm tofu (14 ounces)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (see recipe below, or use store-bought)
• 2 large stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 cup sliced grapes or 2/3 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning blend (or your preferred spice mix)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Slices of bread or wraps (if making sandwiches), or bed of lettuce

 

Method

1. First, get your tofu ready: remove it from the packaging and drain the excess water. Press your tofu with a Tofubud press, or wrap it in a towel and put it in a colander to drain with a heavy weight on top.
2. While your tofu is draining, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and mash them with a fork. You can leave some chickpeas whole for added texture to your salad or mash them all, as you prefer.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the chickpeas. Cut the tofu into cubes and add those too. Stir everything well to combine.
4. Use right away in your sandwiches or salads. You can keep safely any leftovers for up to 7 days in the fridge in a sealed container.

 

Vegan mayonnaise

This recipe makes 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise and has 2 versions: one using tofu and the other using cashews.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of silken tofu, OR 1 cup whole cashews (soaked overnight)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup water (if using cashews)
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar (if using tofu)

 

Method

If you’re using tofu

1. Take the silken tofu out of the package and remove as much water as you can. Cut it into cubes and gently place the cubes onto a clean dish towel. Handle them with care so that they don’t break, as silken tofu is very fragile. Let the tofu sit for about 5 to 10 minutes so that the towel can absorb any excess moisture (note: you don’t need to press silken tofu).
2. In a blender, add the tofu along with the rest of the ingredients and blend well.
3. Use your mayonnaise right away, or keep it in a sealed container in the fridge. Your mayonnaise will stay fresh for up to 10 days.

 

If you’re using cashews

1. Drain your soaked cashews, and then add all ingredients to a high-speed blender.
2. Add 1/4 cup of water and blend.
3. Check the consistency and drizzle in a bit more water, depending on how thin you like your mayonnaise.
4. Use your mayo right away, or store it in a sealed container in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 10 days.

 

Note: Cashew mayonnaise tends to thicken when stored in the fridge. Add more water if you don’t plan to use it right away (1/3 cup should do it as per the recipe).

Vegan Chickpea Salad FAQs

What other spice mixes can I use in the chickpea salad?

If you don’t want to use poultry seasoning, you can use any of these:

• Cajun seasoning (a mixture of paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and pepper)
• Taco seasoning (a combination of chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper)
• Italian seasoning (a mix of marjoram, thyme, basil, oregano, and rosemary)

 

What can I serve with chickpea salad?

Here are some tasty ideas to serve alongside your chickpea salad:

• Slices of fresh avocado
• A cucumber and tomato salad
• Olives
• Marinated peppers

 

You can also use your chickpea salad as a filling for stuffed peppers or stuffed tomatoes.

What can I use instead of mayonnaise?

You could make a delicious tahini dressing. For 2/3 of a cup of dressing, whisk or blend the following:

• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• Pinch of sea salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper