Chickpea “Rooster” Salad – Contemporary, Simple, and Plant-Based mostly

May 1, 2023

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Chickpea “Rooster” Salad will trick your tastebuds in the perfect manner. This simple chickpea recipe is a wonderful plant-based, protein-packed lunch possibility!

Guys, we’re giving cauliflower the day without work (you’re welcome, cauliflower). It’s chickpea’s time to shine on this insanely scrumptious, plant-based, vegan swap for hen salad.

Chickpea “Rooster” Salad will trick your style buds in the perfect manner. It tastes precisely like hen salad however is meat free, a cinch to whip up, contemporary, protein-packed, and make-ahead so you possibly can have wholesome filling lunches available all week lengthy.

If you happen to’re on the lookout for vegan or vegetarian lunchtime concept — this simple recipe is a MUST TRY!

Smashed Chickpea Salad = Vegan Swap for Rooster Salad

Final 12 months I labored with a dietitian buddy (<< better of the very best!) to develop an book of plant-based recipes for her purchasers, and this smashed chickpea salad, aka a vegetarian model of traditional hen salad, was one among my very favorites. When she shared the idea, I believed there was no manner I’d be capable of use chickpeas to create a dish that not solely resembled however TASTED like hen salad…

I’ve by no means been extra comfortable to be unsuitable!

Chickpea “Rooster” Salad is just not solely a wholesome lunch concept for work or faculty that’s filled with protein and fiber, but it surely tastes unimaginable! Contemporary, crunchy, crispy, creamy, herby — all of the issues. It hits all the precise taste and texture notes and is oddly irresistible?

Components Wanted

This creamy chickpea salad is made with fridge and pantry staples in about 10 minutes. Plus it retains effectively all week lengthy because it’s plant/bean-based. Right here’s what you’ll want:

Chickpeas: I take advantage of canned chickpeas (additionally referred to as garbanzo beans), vs cooking dried beans, so the recipe stays within the fast and straightforward lunch class. I prefer to mash the chickpeas fairly effectively however you possibly can depart as a lot or as little entire to attain your required “hen” salad texture.
Celery: supplies an irresistible crunch. I don’t love celery in my hen salad, but it surely’s should within the chickpea model!
Pickles: present a tangy crunch. Use no matter you’ve obtained within the fridge – spears, slices, cornichons, and so on.
Shallot or Onion: supplies extra spicy crunch. Are you sensing a theme right here? Love the creamy/crunchy texture of this salad! Be happy to make use of pink onion or inexperienced onion when you’ve got it available as an alternative.
Mayonnaise: we hold vegan mayonnaise available for Gwen, who’s allergic to eggs and dairy, which is what I take advantage of on this chickpea salad. I like Hellman’s vegan mayonnaise of all of the sorts we’ve tried. Be happy to make use of common mayo, however know that the majority common mayonnaise is made with eggs.
Contemporary lemon juice: a drizzle actually wakes up and brightens this salad.
Dijon mustard: supplies a pleasant depth of taste. You can use yellow mustard in a pinch.
Contemporary dill: I actually love contemporary dill greatest on this chickpea hen salad. You should use dried dill when you should, however give it a attempt a minimum of as soon as with contemporary — it’s a deal with!

Put Your Personal Spin On It

As written, this can be a improbable base recipe for chickpea “hen” salad. That mentioned, be at liberty to decorate it up and make it your personal. Listed here are some concepts:

Add dried cranberries, sliced grapes, or minced apple for a bit of little bit of sweetness.
Add minced contemporary peppers or roasted pink peppers.
Swap the pickles for drained capers, minced inexperienced olives, and/or minced kalamata olives to present the chickpea salad a Mediterranean spin. A sprinkle of feta cheese could be divine too!
Add nuts like chopped pecans, chopped almonds, or sliced almonds for added crunch and taste.
Go away it chunky. Like I mentioned, I prefer to mash the chickpeas fairly easy, however be at liberty to mash much less of the chickpeas for a chunkier-style salad.

Easy methods to Serve Chickpea “Rooster” Salad

Similar to hen salad, this vegan chickpea salad is tremendous versatile by way of learn how to serve it. Listed here are my favorites:

On toast. I really like Canyon Bakehouse GF bread which, like the bulk gluten free breads, is greatest toasted. Dollop the chickpea salad on prime of a chunk of toast, or sandwich between two toasted slices. Sliced tomato is good inside!
In lettuce cups. Use butter lettuce cups or romaine hearts to get pleasure from this salad as a lettuce wrap.
Pita bread. I like MyBread or BFREE gluten free pita breads.
In a wrap. I like Mission GF tortillas, and have been loving EggLife egg white wraps, too!
With crackers. Easy Mills almond crackers are nice for turning this salad right into a tasty dip.
Over greens. Scoop over a mattress of greens for a protein-packed salad.

Nice for Meal Prep

Since this hen chickpea salad is plant-based, it’s going to hold very well within the fridge for five days / the standard work week. That mentioned, be at liberty to portion the vegan hen salad into individual-sized storage containers and hold within the fridge for seize and go lunches.

This recipe additionally makes for AWESOME mason jar salads! Scoop the smashed chickpea salad into the underside of a 16oz wide-mouth mason jar then pack the remainder of the jar filled with greens (arugula is tremendous tasty.) When it’s time to eat, pour the combination right into a bowl then dig in.

Easy methods to make Chickpea “Rooster” Salad

Begin by including a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas (additionally referred to as garbanzo beans) into a big bowl.

Use the again of a fork or a potato masher to mash them up. I prefer to mash practically all of the chickpeas up, however be at liberty to depart some entire / chunky when you want.

You’ll see the peels draw back from the beans as you mash — it’s FINE. Resist the temptation to tug them out — you received’t discover them within the remaining salad!

To the mashed chickpeas add minced onion or shallot, minced celery, minced pickles, contemporary dill (dried dill pictured right here), vegan mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then combine the substances effectively to mix.

As you possibly can see, all of the crunchy substances are finely minced so every chew is stuffed with crunch!

That’s all she wrote — informed you this was a easy dish! My recommendation is to RUN to the kitchen to raid the fridge and pantry and whip up this straightforward, vegan model of hen salad ASAP. Let me know what suppose – get pleasure from!

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