Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad

Calling all chickpea lovers!! Veganuary may have come and gone, but it's never to late to add more meatless meals into your meal routine. My Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad is a simple plant-based recipe that's packed with so much flavor, comes together in minutes, and makes great leftovers for meal prep lunches! This healthy chickpea recipe also happens to be gluten free, vegan, and can easily be made nut free* making it a great option for those of you (or those of you with friends/family) who have a special diet or food allergies. I can't wait for you to try this recipe!

• A Vegan Replacement for Chicken Salad

• More Recipes Made with Tahini That You Will Love!

• 5 Ways to Serve Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad

• What's in This Recipe?

• Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad (jump to recipe)

A Vegan Replacement for Chicken Salad

I'm a fan of chicken salad recipes like my Curried Chicken Salad, but I also enjoy having delicious and easy plant-based options for lunches and snacks.

This Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad recipe calls for a creamy, vegan tahini sauce in place of mayonnaise, chickpeas in place of chicken, and is packed with flavor and texture from sweet apples, crunchy celery, tart dried cranberries, and slivered almonds.

For those of you unfamiliar with tahini, it's essentially a paste or seed butter made of sesame seeds. Tahini is a staple in traditional mediterranean cuisine (it's one of the main ingredients in hummus!), but it's grown in popularity in the states over the past few years. Tahini is a delicious nut free substitute for peanut butter, it's a great base for vegan sauces like the maple tahini sauce in my Copycat True Food Charred Cauliflower, and you can even use it in baked goods!

More Recipes Made with Tahini That You Will Love!

• Blueberry Tahini Breakfast Sweet Potato

• Cardamom Cacao Energy Bites

• Copycat True Food Charred Cauliflower

• Creamy Turmeric Hummus

6 Ways to Serve Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad

When it comes to serving suggestions for this sweet and savory Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad try one of these easy-to-put-together meal and snack options!

1. Serve this chickpea salad with whole grain crackers and carrot sticks

2. Fill whole wheat pita with chickpea and apple salad and crunchy romaine lettuce, sliced cucumber, and sliced avocado

3. Make lettuce wraps with butter leaf lettuce and a few spoonfuls of this chickpea salad

4. Fill bell pepper halves with chickpea and apple salad for a snack

5. Make a delicious vegan sandwich with a scoop of chickpea salad, spring mix, and sliced avocado on your favorite whole grain bread

6. Top spinach or spring mix with a scoop of chickpea salad with toasted sourdough bread on the side (my go to!)

There are so many ways to serve this sweet and spicy Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad, and to top it off it's great for meal prep lunches!

What’s in This Recipe?

• Tahini – contains vitamin E, healthy fats, fiber, and plant based protein; nut free

• Lemon juice – contains vitamin C and acid

• Maple syrup – natural sweetener, rich in manganese

• Water – to thin out the tahini dressing

• Seasonings – curry powder, salt, ground ginger, ground turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper

• Chickpeas – contains plant-based protein, fiber, iron, folate, and resistant starch

• Gala or envy apple – contains dietary fiber and energizing carbohydrates

• Celery – non-starchy vegetable that contains dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C

• Dried cranberries – contains antioxidants, has antibacterial properties

• Almonds – contains plant based protein, heart healthy fats, vitamin E, and fiber

• Green onion – contains vitamin K

Notes: This recipe is naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. It can easily be made nut free* by omitting the almonds or replacing them with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Curried Chickpea and Apple Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp. maple syrup

• 2 tbsp. water

• 1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

• Black pepper to taste

• 1 can (13.5-14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 gala or envy apple, cored and diced

• 1/2 cup celery, diced

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered, almonds plus extra for garnishing* (see "Notes" section for nut free option)

• 2 tbsp. green onion, diced, plus extra for garnishing

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, water, and spices until the spices are evenly dispersed and the mixture is smooth.

2. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of the chickpeas. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until the chickpeas are broken into halves and pieces (the chickpeas should be chunky, not smooth).

3. Next, add the smashed chickpeas, whole chickpeas, apple, celery, dried cranberries, almonds*, and green onion to the bowl. Mix until fully coated.

4. Serve immediately (see serving suggestions here). Garnish with additional almonds* and green onions as desired.

5. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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