Y’all know I love chickpeas. They’re easy to prepare, versatile, cheap, and full of fiber and other goodies! Chickpea salads have become one of my favorite easy preparations for chickpeas, especially now that it’s mid-summer and a million degrees out. Today I made a light and tangy Curry Chickpea Salad, that you can eat as a wrap, stuffed into a pita, or piled on top of a fresh green salad. It only takes a few minutes to prepare and makes a super tasty lunch!
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What Kind of Curry Powder Should I Use?
There are so many different types of curry powder out there and they all have a unique flavor. I haven’t yet met a curry powder that I don’t like, so I can’t suggest one over another, but I’ve tried a few different brands such as Sharwoods, 365, Spice Islands, and Simply Organic. If you want to try making your own curry powder at home, here is a great recipe for curry powder from Hari Ghotra, along with a ton of great info about curry powder, its origins, and ways it can be used.
How to Serve Curry Chickpea Salad
As I mentioned in the intro, there are a few different ways to eat this Curry Chickpea Salad. I stuffed it into a pita with some lettuce for the photos here, but I’ve also wrapped it up in a tortilla to make a wrap sandwich. You can also scoop it on top of a green salad, or smash up the chickpeas and dip into it with crackers or vegetables.
I didn’t smash the chickpeas this time, but I often do to create a different texture in the salad. It really just depends on what texture you prefer or how you plan to serve it.
What Else Can I Add?
Chickpea salads are fun because you can add all sorts of other ingredients to make it fancy, if you have them. I think a grated carrot or diced red bell pepper would add a nice texture and the sweetness would work well with the curry flavor. Finely diced celery would also add a nice crunch, as would some slivered almonds. A few raisins would add a fun pop of sweetness. And lastly, if you can’t do red onion, sliced green onion would be a nice mild option to use in their place.
Curry Chickpea Salad
Servings 2 1 cup eachIngredients
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt* ($0.35)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.03)
- 1 tsp honey ($0.06)
- 1.5 tsp curry powder ($0.15)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.55)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.17)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion ($0.07)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing first. Stir together the yogurt, Dijon, honey, curry powder, and salt. Set the dressing aside.
- Rinse and drain the canned chickpeas. Chop the cilantro and finely chop the red onion. If you'd like to soften the flavor of the red onion, first slice it and then let the slices soak in cold water for about five minutes. Drain the onion, then finely chop.
- Combine the chickpeas, chopped cilantro, chopped red onion, and the prepared dressing in a bowl. Stir to combine. If you prefer, you can slightly mash the chickpeas to create a different texture. Taste and adjust the salt or other ingredients to your liking. Serve cold.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Love chickpea salads? Try my Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad, Pesto Chickpea Salad, or Sriracha Chickpea Salad Wraps.
How to Make Curry Chickpea Salad – Step by Step Photos
First, make the yogurt curry dressing. Stir together ⅓ cup plain yogurt, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1.5 tsp curry powder, and ⅛ tsp salt. You can use regular-style or Greek-style yogurt, keeping in mind that Greek yogurt will make a very thick dressing.
Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of chickpeas. Finely dice ¼ cup red onion and chop about ¼ cup cilantro. If you want the onions to have a softer flavor, you can slice them first and soak in cold water for about 5 minutes before finely chopping.
Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients in the bowl.
Stir until everything is combined, give it a taste, and then adjust the salt or other ingredients to your liking. At this point, you can either leave the chickpeas whole or smash them up a bit. It’s up to you!
Today I left my chickpeas whole, but if I were going to serve them with crackers for scooping I’d probably mash them up a bit so the chickpeas don’t roll off the crackers. :) Enjoy your quick, cold, no-cook lunch!
I wasn’t sure how this was going to taste, but turns out I loved it! I did add a sliced celery stalk for a nice extra flavor and crunch, and I’d like to add a diced hard-boiled egg next time.
I love this. It looks beautiful and is healthy too. Will definitely try this next time.
This was very tasty, and certainly cheap & quick. I didn’t think it was very filling, though, and awkward to eat as a sandwich. May try bulking it out next time (zucchini? tomatoes? quinoa? chicken?).
Delicious, fresh-tasting, easy! I made as written and added the suggested raisins.
I’m a student on a tight budget cooking for two. This was a good recipe because it was very cheap, and I had everything in my pantry minus the cilantro and pita (which isn’t necessary, but welcome). Also, I don’t know how to cook and this was a wicked easy meal. I would say it is a little underseasoned, but that does not matter too much as it is so easy to adjust. I added more curry and salt and threw in some paprika. I was worried that this would not fill me up, but it did. Good for a summer day after work where turning the oven on seems like the worst thing ever. Also, it made a minimal number of dishes.
This is such a nice change to eating chicken salad! The only change I made was I roasted the chickpeas first. I will definitely be adding this to my meatless days. Once again, you’ve given us a wonderful recipe Beth ♥️
This was great! Tasty and fast! I had it in a tortilla with some lettuce.
I wanted to love this, but it was gritty and bitter. I used Penzeys sweet curry spice. Any idea what I can do to get it better?
It’s hard to say without being there to taste it myself, so I’m not sure what was making yours gritty or bitter. Unfortunately, I’ve never tried Penzy’s curry spice, so I’m not sure if that’s the culprit. Sometimes bitter flavors can be mitigated by adding a little sugar, though.
Mine was bitter, too, and I got none of the tang from the yogurt or sweetness of honey. I haven’t had issues with this curry powder being unpleasant in other dishes, but I wonder if the amount was too much and overpowered the other ingredients. I generally love BB recipes, so this one was a surprise.
So tasty, it immediately won itself a spot in my regular lunchtime rotation. I never have yogurt on hand so I just make it with mayo (and celery instead of onion for the crunch factor) and it turns out great every time.
I enjoyed making this tonight. I plan to eat only vegetarian meals this month (need a break from meat!) and this was one of the recipes on my list. I added more salt, chopped celery, and pomegranate (because it’s in season). I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow for lunch as a pita sandwich. The salad itself is tasty and healthy.
I found this to be a little bitter too, which is strange because my curry powder is fresh and not bitter tasting. I will try another curry powder next time as well as try soaking the red onions. It was still good! I added a bit more honey.
This recipe was the first of yours I’ve made and I’m very pleased. So simple and tasty. How long will this keep in the fridge?
Probably 3-4 days because of the delicate fresh herbs, but it can depend on several factors, so your mileage may vary. :)
This is one of my favorite summer salads. I eat it on top of a cooked Trader Joe’s garlic naan and topped with half an avocado. So delicious! Thanks, Beth!
I really wanted to like this recipe but for some reason it just didn’t “pop” and I even added grated carrot, chopped celery, toasted slivered almonds, and some dried cherries and berries mix. Also a generous grind of black pepper.
On the plus side it’s definitely healthy.
Mine was bitter. I ended up just adding more honey…but what do you think the culprit was? The kind of curry I used? Thanks!
Hmmm, yes, it could have been your curry powder. Try tasting a little of the powder straight out of the bottle to see if it tastes bitter to you.
Oh yum. I love chickpeas, and I love this recipe! I can’t tell you how many chickpea recipes I’ve tried where someone is presenting them as tuna substitutes…..and I’ve been disappointed by all of them. This recipe is delicious. I used Madras curry powder, which has a little bit of heat. It was perfect. Too bad the “pita” breads I bought at Costco were “pita-ful” and had no pockets. Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be making it again….and again…and again…..
So delicious!!! I added a tiny dash of lemon and sliced cherry tomatoes and it was great. Thank you Beth, your recipes have made me love cooking so much more than I did.
I just made this today for lunch and it was tangy and refreshing just like the description said. I added some minced bell peppers for some extra crunch and put it all in a wrap. Really tasty and I’ll definitely make it again before summer’s over!
I thought this was delicious! However, my boyfriend wasn’t crazy about it – just not his taste I suppose. But the bigger problem is I did this as a meal prep, and I’m one man short! Since I’ll be eating this for a bit to avoid waste, what are some other ways I can use this besides on a wrap?
You can make sure it’s smashed up good and then scoop it up with crackers, or you can eat it on top of a green salad. :)
So good. I used vegan mayo instead of yogurt and omitted the honey. Enjoyed on a tortilla wrap with some lettuce and tomato, will definitely make again!
Used this as a jumping off point to use up what I had on hand. I used 2 cans of chickpeas, plain Greek yogurt, and curry powder. I used honey mustard and parsley and shallot since that’s what was around, and put a big squeeze of lime juice in. The lime juice takes it over the top… Eating this right now crammed in a pita and with some cantaloupe on the side… It’s a very satisfying lunch!
So freaking fast, so easy, so yummy! Perfect addition to the lunch repertoire and always down for simple and healthy options. Added a red bell pepper bc I had one that needed to be used but otherwise made as is. The curry yogurt dressing is delicious!
Made this for lunches for the week. Tastes amazing!
Made this last night for our book group. It was a HUGE hit. Super easy and great flavor. I’m looking forward to leftovers for lunch.
Bean salads are making my lunches possible in this heat and this one is exceptional.
Delicious! I added shredded carrots and a bit of Serrano pepper to kick the flavor up a bit, but super tasty!
I love chickpea salads! this is a great new variation!
Really, really good; even better than I expected. Although, I didn’t 100% follow the recipe as written, so I’m not leaving a star rating. I didn’t have cilantro, so I just left it out (I like it, but it’s one of those things that can sometimes be hard to get, especially now with limited shopping during the pandemic, and it only lasts a few days in the fridge). But to be honest, I don’t think it’s needed here. Instead, I added shredded carrot, diced red pepper, a little diced celery, and some sliced almonds as per the “what else can I add?” suggestions above. I kept the dressing as is (and it is fantastic). I think the almonds and the dressing make the salad, but the rest of the ingredients make it so healthy and fresh. Perfect for meal prep and makes a quick lunch on a hot summer day.
This!!! I absolutely love this! It will be a regular in my summer lunch rotation. I added sliced almonds for a little crunch. So delish! Thank you.
Oh my gosh, this sounds AMAZING!!! I love chickpeas and I love anything curry so this is the repice of my dreams!
I’m lactose intolerant so the yogurt is out for me. Other than mayo, is there another substitution you’d recommend?
you could get a dairy free yogurt or mayo, those are getting easier and easier to find. Otherwise maybe a mashed avocado to still have some creaminess.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a recommended substitute for yogurt. I can’t think of anything quite as light, tangy, and cooling as yogurt.
There are many yogurt alternatives. I’m thinking the coconut milk yogurt alternative (such as the one made by So Delicious) might be good. And coconut pairs well with curry, too!
Hi Stacy, I made this using vegan mayo instead of yogurt and it was delicious :D
I’ve made something a lot like this before—based on your own other chickpea salad recipes in fact! I like to add a fruity element, like diced apples or grapes or raisins.
Hi Beth! Do you have any ideas about what might be a good vegan sub for the yogurt? This recipe looks awesome!
I bet you could do one of the dairy free yogurts. Ive seen Coconut, almond, cashew and soy plain yogurt alternative in stores, I bet those would all be pretty good. Just check the label to make sure they are vegan.
Unfortunately I don’t have any good suggestions for that one. I haven’t experimented at all with vegan yogurts, so I’m not sure which would provide the closest flavor. And I can’t think of any other non-yogurt ingredients that might be a good fit.
I just made it with plain coconut milk yogurt and it turned out pretty good. Very forgiving recipe, I eyeballed all the measurements and probably added to much yogurt and it still tasted great. I also subbed agave for the honey.