This fresh and vibrant green goddess chickpea salad is perfect for packed lunches or a high fiber snack. It comes together in less than 15 minutes and is perfect for pairing with some cut veggies, crackers, or as a flavorful filling for a sandwich.
This post is sponsored by Dandy® Fresh Produce.
Smashed chickpea salad is one of my favorite plant-based fillings for sandwiches that is plant-based. It’s quick and easy to make, high in fiber, and provides plenty of protein. If you haven’t had it before, it’s a bit like a vegetarian alternative to tuna or chicken salad.
To give it even more pizzazz, I blended up a tangy and delicious green goddess dressing that adds tons of color and nutrients to your standard chickpea salad. For added crunch and texture in my chickpea salad, I like to add fresh celery too. That’s why I’ve partnered with Dandy® Fresh Produce and used their crispy celery for this green goddess chickpea salad recipe.
What’s more, Dandy® fresh-cut celery is naturally sweeter, crispier, and less stringy than other brands on the grocery store shelves! So it not only makes a great addition to the salad, but you can also use it for scooping up bites of the finished smashed chickpea salad well.
Why You’ll Love this Green Goddess Salad
- Great for Meal Prep: this smashed chickpea salad recipe can be prepped on the weekend and enjoyed later in the week for a quick and easy lunch or tasty snack.
- Easy to Customize: you can easily customize this salad to your liking by using different herbs in the dressing, swapping for a different variety of beans, or adding more chopped vegetables to the salad.
- Packed with Flavor: there’s no shortage of flavor in this salad! The fresh herbs and lemon in the green goddess dressing pack a ton of bright flavor into the dressing.
Ingredients for Green Goddess Chickpea Salad
Here’s a quick rundown of the main ingredients you’ll need for this easy salad recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the specific amounts of each ingredient you’ll need.
- Yogurt: I am plant-based so I use a plain, unsweetened nondairy yogurt to make a vegan green goddess dressing. However, if you aren’t dairy free, you can use regular plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.
- Fresh herbs: I like to use a blend of fresh parsley, dill, and cilantro.
- Lemon: use fresh squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. I find the lemon helps brighten up all the flavors in the herbs.
- Garlic powder: I find fresh garlic to be overpowering in most dressings so I use garlic powder. However, you can use one clove of fresh garlic in the dressing if you prefer.
- Chickpeas: the chewy texture and neutral flavor of chickpeas works really well in this smashed chickpea salad.
- Celery: for a bit of extra texture and crunch, I also add lots of chopped celery and Dandy® celery is my go-to!
- Green onion: you’ll need a bit of green onion for both the goddess dressing and the salad. However, you could use red onion in the salad if you’d like.
Variations
Try a different bean: if you don’t have chickpeas, you could swap them for another bean; I’d try white beans or butter beans.
Use different combos of herbs: You can mix and match other herbs depending on your preference or what you have on hand. Other herbs that work well include tarragon and basil.
Swap the yogurt: you can use regular plain yogurt instead of dairy free yogurt if you prefer. Instead of yogurt, you could also make the green goddess dressing with avocado or tahini. It will change the overall flavor a bit, but both options provide the same creaminess that yogurt does.
How to Make Chickpea Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
Make the Dressing: add all of the dressing ingredients to a small blender and puree until smooth. I really like to use a personal blender vs my pitcher blender for this dressing.
Mash the chickpeas: add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to a bowl and partially mash with a fork or potato masher.
Combine: add chopped celery, green onion, and the green goddess dressing to the mashed chickpeas. Stir well with a spoon. Taste and add more sea salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve with cut vegetables, crackers, or as a filling for a sandwich or wrap.
Meal Prep and Storage
Meal Prep: You can easily make the dressing and store it in a jar in the fridge for 2-3 days before combining with the rest of the salad ingredients.
Storage: store this salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Green Goddess Chickpea Salad
Equipment
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personal blender
Ingredients
Green goddess Dressing
- 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup other fresh herbs (I used cilantro and dill)
- 1 green onion
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash sea salt and black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 stalks Dandy® celery, chopped
- 1 green onion
Instructions
For the Dressing
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Add all of the salad dressing ingredients to a small blender and puree until smooth.
For the Salad
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To a small mixing bowl, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas and partially mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the chopped celery, green onion, and the dressing.
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Mix well with a spoon to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with fresh cut vegetables and/or crackers or use as a filling for a sandwich or wrap.
Notes
- This chickpea salad is great for meal prep. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
The post Green Goddess Chickpea Salad appeared first on Dietitian Debbie Dishes.