Chickpea Egg Salad

Packed with tons of texture and flavor, this easy chickpea egg salad can be an excellent healthy lunch option. 

The salad is super healthy, packed with raw veggies and lots of fiber and protein, which makes it a great choice for those looking to keep things simple and effortless with their meals.

The salad is gluten-free, dairy-free and super filling too, which is another plus. You’ll get the protein from the egg and the chickpeas, the fiber from all the veggies and a nice tangy flavor from the oranges and other seasonings. 

Plus, this recipe is great for meal prep too- it really doesn’t get better than this.

Jump to:

• What's So Great About the Recipe?
• Ingredients
• How to Make the Chickpea Egg Salad
• Substitutions & Variations
• 💭Top Tip
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
• Serving Ideas & Suggestions
• FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Chickpea Egg Salad
• Food Safety

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!

When it comes to whipping up a simple and effortless healthy meal in my household, this salad is what I find myself turning to.

Ingredients

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.

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. You can also choose to use basil or parsley if that's what you have at hand.

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.

How to Make the Chickpea Egg Salad

Substitutions & Variations

• If you don’t have the fresh garlic that the recipe calls for, use garlic powder instead. 
• 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.

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Chopping Board
• Food Processor
• Mason Jars
• Serving Spoons

Storage

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. 
• Another great way to bring some tanginess to this chickpea egg salad is to chop up some pickles and add them into it. 
• 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 don't actually need to make any extra grand efforts to serve this easy salad- it is actually perfect on its own.

If you want to prepare this as a side, you can team it up with any Mediterranean, Mexican or Italian main dishes, and the flavors will complement the salad beautifully.

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.

FAQs

Related Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.