Chickpea Egg Salad

If you love tofu egg salad, you must try chickpea egg salad! This version of this chickpea egg salad recipe is delicious, soy-free, gluten-free, and easy to make in less than 20 minutes.

Before transitioning to a plant-based diet, I loved egg salad. And although I make a screaming good tofu egg salad, today I decided to use chickpeas instead of tofu. Although based on a traditional egg salad recipe, chickpea egg salad has a distinct fancy flare. So I've added unique ingredients to bring elegance to this chickpea egg salad recipe.

Jump to:

• Salad Ingredients
• Salad Ingredient Substitutes
• How to Make the Salad
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Other Great Vegan Sandwich Options
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Let's face it; some people don't care for tofu or soy products, which is why I've concocted another way to make vegan egg salad without using fake meat or soy products.

Recently, I found a chickpea egg salad at Whole Foods Market. However, the number of ingredients steered me away from buying it. Since I like to eat a whole foods plant-based plan, I figured I should make my own version of a chickpea egg salad recipe.

Salad Ingredients

• Chickpeas: Chickpeas taste quite like beans, considering they're legumes themselves. Most people compare their flavor to cannellini and pinto beans because they're starchy. However, they also have an earthy taste with nutty undertones.
• Celery: Celery has a mild and robust taste while giving it a bold flavor. At the same time, celery provides crunchiness that sustains once the dressing is added.
• Green Onions: The white part of green onions is crunchy, like an onion, while the green part is thicker and coarser than chives.
• Turmeric: Flavor-wise, it is overwhelmingly earthy and bitter, almost musky, with a bit of peppery spice. Turmeric is activated when combined with pepper.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is made from garlic cloves that have been dehydrated and ground into fine particles. The flavor is garlicky but vastly different than fresh-chopped garlic. It tastes sweeter and much less assertive than fresh garlic, but without the caramel undertones you get from roasted or sautéd garlic.
• Black Salt: Black salt, also known as Kala namak or Himalayan black salt, is found in India. Kala namak has a very distinctive smell. The sulfur compounds cause the salt to smell and taste like eggs.
• Pepper: Pungent, earthy, hot, woody, brash—pepper's distinct flavor somehow pairs well with just about any savory food and some sweet ones, too. If salt helps bring out flavors, black pepper makes foods bolder versions of themselves.
• Dill: This fresh herb has an herbaceous, grassy, and slightly tangy flavor with notes of anise. The distinct taste of dill stands out in most recipes, and therefore the herb i
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard has a tangy, sharp, and intense flavor with a bit of spice. 
• Yellow Mustard: Yellow mustard has a crisp, tart-and-tangy flavor. 
• Cashew Mayonnaise: I make my own cashew mayo. But there is an alternative option for those who prefer a nut-free option in the recipe.

Salad Ingredient Substitutes

• White beans or pinto beans are often used instead of chickpeas.
• Substitute cucumber or fennel for celery. However, remove the seeds from the cucumbers. And beware of the licorice flavor of adding raw fennel.
• Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder.
• Omit black salt if you don't like the taste or smell of eggs.
• Use all Dijon or all yellow mustard instead of a combination of both mustards.
• Stone ground mustard is the closest substitute for Dijon mustard.
• Choose any vegan mayo or silken tofu or white beans to replace the cashews for the cashew mayo for a nut-free option.

How to Make the Salad

To make prepping any salad easier, I suggest using a vegetable chopper to cut small, uniform vegetables for salad recipes.

Using a food processor, pulse the drained chickpeas until chopped. Do not over-pulse; the consistency should be chopped, not mashed like hummus.

No worries; use a fork to smash the chickpeas if you don't have a food processor.

Then, add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine, and refrigerate until chilled.

Serving Suggestions

• I served a chickpea egg salad sandwich on Dave's bread with lettuce and tomato with a pickle.
• Or, try hollowing out a tomato, red, or green pepper and filling it with chickpea egg salad.
• Use pita bread instead of whole-grain bread.
• Serve vegan egg salad in a bowl on top of greens, served with tomato wedges and cucumbers.
• Add a scoop of egg salad to your favorite salad, such as mango salad or chopped vegan Greek salad.
• Skip the bread and make chickpea egg salad lettuce wraps.
• Consider polenta fries or steak fries in the air fryer as a side dish.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Drain and rinse chickpeas in a colander
• Do not over-pulse chickpeas; the consistency should be chopped but not over-chopped and soupy.
• Add a teaspoon or 2 teaspoons of capers for an added delicious flavor profile.
• Chill the salad for at least an hour before servings so it sets up.
• Chickpea egg salad will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
• I do not recommend freezing the egg salad.

Try this chickpea egg salad recipe the next time you are craving egg salad. It's gluten-free and soy free, and it tastes so good!

Other Great Vegan Sandwich Options

If you love this chickpea egg salad, give us a 5-star review and comment below! We would love to hear from you!

📖 Recipe