Smashed Chickpea Salad (No Mayo)
This smashed chickpea salad is super creamy, thanks to mashed white beans (no mayo or dairy here) with plenty of crunch from celery & apple. It takes just 10 minutes to make & packs beautifully for lunches or potlucks!
5 star review
“I made this for lunch today – you’re so right about the taste testing! I kept trying spoonfuls of it before it even made it to my plate! Thanks for the great recipe!”
– Tracy
Weekday Lunches Just Went from Blah to Yay with Smashed Chickpea Salad
Many of you write to me requesting easy dairy free lunches that you can prep ahead for busy weekdays. I’ve been playing around with this dairy free chickpea salad recipe for a while, and I’m so excited to share it today! I often make my quinoa salad with chickpeas for a quick lunch, but I wanted a salad that’s equally delicious in a bowl as it is sandwiched between toasted bread. Plus it’s a delicious plant-based salad for the days you want to go meat-free, or for those of you who avoid meat altogether.
Now to get that perfect creamy texture in a matter of minutes, I tested this recipe multiple ways (ground cashews and coconut milk were both no-go’s). The true secret is mashed white beans! They create a smooth, buttery paste that binds everything together beautifully – no mayo or dairy needed! And I can’t lie, this stuff is addictive. Like, standing over the bowl scooping “taste tests” into your mouth repeatedly, addictive. Not that I would know from personal experience. It’s just a guess.
Best of all, this quick salad is also great for summer potlucks and picnics, since it’s lovely served at room temperature. So basicallyyy it’s just good anyway you want to go.
Taste-Test
Everyone’s preferences for salt is different, and the beans will soak up a lot of that flavor, so test the flavor of your salad and add a little more salt + pepper, if desired.
Tips to Customize Your Midday Meal
- Hearty Salad: Heap this salad on top of greens like baby spinach or lettuce with a generous glug of olive oil and white wine vinegar, plus maybe a sprinkle of toasted, salted cashews for even more crunch.
- Chickpea Salad Sandwich: Transform this salad into a sandwich filling along with avocado, greens, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Now we’re talking!
- Dip Lunch: One reader enjoyed this salad as a dip with grain free tortilla chips – such a great idea!
- Make Ahead: Your creamy chickpea salad will taste even better when stored in the fridge so the flavors have time to meld together. So you can prep a double batch over the weekend & there will be plenty for multiple lunches during the week. Score!
Smashed Chickpea Salad (No Mayo)
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (14 ounce) can of white beans, drained and rinsed (such as great northern or cannellini)
- 1 (14 ounce) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup finely chopped celery (from about 3 stalks)
- 1 cup finely chopped apple (from about 1 medium apple)
- 1 scallion, finely chopped (white and green parts)
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and white beans. Using a back of a fork, mash the white beans until smooth paste forms. This might take a few minutes, but just keep mashing until the beans are smooth.
- Add the chickpeas and mash lightly, leaving some whole and most in large chunks.
- Add the celery, apple, and scallion, mixing well to combine. Taste and add additional salt, black pepper, or vinegar to taste.
Notes
- Green Salad: Serve this salad over greens with an extra drizzle of vinegar and some extra virgin olive oil.
- Hearty Sandwich: It’s also fabulous as a sandwich filling with avocado and baby spinach.
Is there a certain kind of white bean? Great northern?
Cathy, I used Great norther or cannallini should work just fine!
I made this for lunch today – you’re so right about the taste testing! I kept trying spoonfuls of it before it even made it to my plate! Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed Tracy! 🙂
Had this for lunch today, excellent!
Yay, so happy you enjoyed Alexandra! 🙂
Hi Robyn, I just found your blog and this is the first recipe I’ve tried and it was fantastic! I loved it and it felt so healthy!
Yay, I’m so glad you found the blog and that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Found your website 2 days ago and new it was a keeper. This is the first recipe I saw and I tried it today. Really like how easy it is to make and although It’s delicious with the simple seasonings I gave it my own flare to spice it up. Thanks so much! This one is going in my favorites for meal planning.
I’m so glad we connected, Naomi, and that you’re enjoying the site! And, so happy you enjoyed this one and that’s it going into your weekly rotation. Cheers!
This looks delicious! Will it keep in the fridge with the apple in it, or must this be all eaten the same day it’s made?
Grace, I’ve had good luck storing it in the fridge for a few days. The apple doesn’t seem to brown because of the vinegar in the dressing. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you, Robyn – I made it, and it’s delicious and keeping well, and I can’t wait to try to sneak my parents out of their mayo-laden tuna salad with this option to try!!
Yay, Grace, so glad you enjoyed. I hope it’s a hit with your parents, too. 😉
My husband and I are obsessed with this! So good!
Amy, yay, so glad you’re both enjoying!
This salad is so tasty and super simple to make! Love having a no-mayo option for a salad that is very filling and satisfying….We had planned on making a “sandwich” using lettuce leaves but realized we were out so we just scooped the salad with grain free tortilla chips. This would also be good eaten with baby carrots.
So glad you enjoyed this one, even without the bread. I agree, carrots sound like a super tasty addition. Thanks so much for leaving a review!