Packed with protein and fiber, this easy chickpea egg salad can be an excellent simple and satisfying lunch option. Hard boiled eggs, chickpeas and veggies come together and get tossed in a fruity Mediterranean inspired dressing that will have you hooked!
If you've always thought salads were boring and bland, you've got to try this recipe. Also try my Indian chickpea salad or Fattoush salad - they're both total flavor bombs!
Building a light yet filling salad is actually pretty easy. You'll need a nice protein source, lots of veggies for the fiber and a good fat to round it all up, and this chickpea and egg salad ticks all those boxes.
I love using boiled eggs for my salads- my Egyptian fried boiled egg salad was a huge hit, and it kind of inspired me to try this recipe.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
The versatility of this salad is what makes it a total winner in my books. You can play around with the ingredients based on what you have in your refrigerator.
The flavors can be tweaked depending on what your family likes, which is great. If you want to keep it simple, just put all the veggies, the chickpeas and the eggs together and prepare a simple dressing with some olive oil, lemon juice and Italian seasoning. I love using my all time favorite garlic bread seasoning for this!
Ingredients for the Chickpea Egg Salad
Chickpeas: I used canned chickpeas. You can use dry chickpeas too. Just remember to soak them overnight and boil them until they're soft, but still hold their shape well. I like to use my leftover spicy Tajin chickpeas here sometimes!
Eggs: I used hard boiled eggs. You can choose to use soft boiled ones too.
Fresh veggies: I used a mix of iceberg lettuce, red onion, cucumber and red cabbage to add some fiber and vitamins to the salad. I diced and shredded them, but you can choose to chop them finely if you want to.
Jalapenos: Chopped jalapenos add a nice kick of spice to the salad. You can skip this if you want your salad to have a more subtle flavor.
Orange: Fresh orange wedges bring some juiciness and tanginess to the salad. You could also try using pineapple or any other citrusy fruit of your choice if you want to.
Orange juice: Orange juice helps get some tangy flavor to the dressing and helps coat all the elements of the salad nicely.
Herbs: I used fresh cilantro and mint leaves to add that touch of freshness and that little pop of green color to the salad. If you don't have fresh mint, add some dried mint.
Olive oil: Any good salad dressing is incomplete without a good drizzle of some healthy fats. I've used extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic: Fresh garlic just adds that touch of pungent savory flavor to the salad dressing, taking it to the next level.
Seasonings: I used a mix of chili powder, Sumac, salt and pepper to add some flavor to the salad dressing. You can experiment with other seasonings of your choice too.
Mustard paste: Fresh mustard paste brings an earthy, smoky taste to the salad. If you don't have it, you can use regular mustard instead.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have the fresh garlic that the recipe calls for, use garlic powder instead. I love using my Air Fryer roasted garlic for some extra smoky, savory deliciousness.
- Freshly squeezed orange juice can lend the salad an extra punch of flavor and tanginess, but if you don’t have it at hand, you can use some lemon juice instead.
- If you don't have any citrus fruits at hand, a dash of vinegar (ideally apple cider vinegar) can work wonderfully in brightening up the flavor too!
- I’ve used red oakleaf lettuce and purple cabbage to bring some crunchiness into the salad. If you don’t have these, you can use regular cabbage, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce and even arugula into the mix.
- Chopped avocado can be another great addition to this chickpea egg salad. Not only will it lend the salad some creaminess, but will also give you a good dose of healthy fats.
- You can also add some chopped tomatoes, bell peppers or even carrots into the salad to bulk it up.
How to Make the Chickpea Egg Salad
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing together.
Step 2: Add all the ingredients for the salad in a large salad bowl.
Step 3: Pour the dressing on the salad and give it all a good mix.
Step 4: Let the salad rest for a few minutes and enjoy!
💭Top Tip
If you’re not a fan of the taste of egg yolk, you can remove the yolk and whisk it together with the dressing to neutralize the flavor.
Storage Ideas & Suggestions
Since this chickpea egg salad is actually a great make-ahead meal, you can prep it and store it in good quality meal prep containers. Just assemble the veggies and the chickpeas together, top with sliced or chopped hard boiled eggs and refrigerate for up to a day.
Then, when you want to have it, just put the dressing together, combine it with the salad, and you're done! If you have some leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and just make sure you consume it within a day.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Want to lend an extra touch of flavor and deliciousness to the chickpea egg salad? Add a teaspoon of curry powder into the mix.
- If you want to enjoy a bit of an extra citrusy flavor in your salad, you can add some lemon zest or orange zest into it too. I love using my lemon infused olive oil to make the marinade.
- Another great way to bring some tanginess to this chickpea egg salad is to chop up some pickles and add them into it. Pickled green onions and lime pickled onions are great choices.
- If you don’t have pickles, pitted olives can be another excellent choice.
- If you like your salads to have a nice creamy dressing, add a teaspoon of low fat mayonnaise or some unflavored Greek yogurt into it.
- I love my foods to have a bit of heat, and if you do too, you can add a dash of chili powder or paprika into it as well.
- Don’t forget to top the salad with a nice generous sprinkle of chopped herbs of your choice- you can use dill, cilantro, parsley, basil or even scallions.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
You can enjoy this easy chickpea egg salad on its own as a light lunch or pair it with a Mediterranean main like Sumac chicken and some lemon dill rice. I usually served my Sumac cucumber salad or Sumac onion salad with it, but this egg salad can be an excellent wholesome and filling side too.
Remember to let the salad sit for 5-7 minutes before you serve it or dig into it. Doing this will allow the flavors to meld together wonderfully.
Recipe FAQs
Sumac is a Middle Eastern spice mix that has a unique flavor which works wonderfully with the other ingredients in the dish. If you don't have sumac, you can use peri peri, Italian seasoning or any other seasoning mix of your choice.
The salad should stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It is best to consume it within a day to enjoy the texture from all the crunchy veggies.
Canned chickpeas are the best choice for this recipe, but if you really want to, you can use white beans or even kidney beans as an alternative.
Yes! You can prepare the salad dressing days in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to combine it with the other ingredients. Eggs can also be hard boiled and prepped for 2-3 days in advance, if not more.
More Salad Recipes
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If you tried this chickpea egg salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chickpea Egg Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- ½ cup cabbage chopped
- 1 onion sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic grated
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2-4 mint leaves chopped
- 1 hard boiled egg sliced
- 1 orange sectioned
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chunky mustard paste
- ¼ teaspoon sumac
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing together.
- Add all the ingredients for the salad in a large salad bowl.
- Pour the dressing on the salad and give it all a good mix.
- Let the salad rest for a few minutes and enjoy!
Notes
- Want to lend an extra touch of flavor and deliciousness to the chickpea egg salad? Add a teaspoon of curry powder into the mix.
- If you want to enjoy a bit of an extra citrusy flavor in your salad, you can add some lemon zest or orange zest into it too. I love using my lemon infused olive oil to make the marinade.
- Another great way to bring some tanginess to this chickpea egg salad is to chop up some pickles and add them into it. Pickled green onions and lime pickled onions are great choices.
- If you don’t have pickles, pitted olives can be another excellent choice.
- If you like your salads to have a nice creamy dressing, add a teaspoon of low fat mayonnaise or some unflavored Greek yogurt into it.
- I love my foods to have a bit of heat, and if you do too, you can add a dash of chili powder or paprika into it as well.
- Don’t forget to top the salad with a nice generous sprinkle of chopped herbs of your choice- you can use dill, cilantro, parsley, basil or even scallions.
