Oh hi! This smashed chickpea salad has quickly become my new favorite lunch.
Seriously — where has this been all my life? I accidentally typed “where has this bean all my life” and that unintentional pun felt oddly perfect.
For real though: why didn’t I discover this sooner? I’m always hunting for satisfying, make-ahead lunches that aren’t just reheated leftovers. I usually prefer something cool or room-temperature for lunch — I don’t always want to heat food up.
Another plus is recipes that improve or at least stay great after a few days in the fridge. I love lunches that can be prepped once and enjoyed several times without losing flavor or texture.
Beans are a major part of my lunch rotation — they’re simple, filling, and take on so many flavor profiles. I’ve long been a fan of marinated beans for this reason. They travel well, keep in the fridge, and are endlessly versatile.
Enter this smashed chickpea salad — and I am obsessed.
I am obsessed.
I’ve seen chickpea “tuna” salads for years, and until now, the straight tuna-style versions never appealed to me. But the idea of a lightly spiced smashed chickpea salad with dried cherries and nuts (like pecans or almonds) felt far more like a chicken-salad vibe than tuna — in a great way.
This is how it goes down!
Roughly half the chickpeas are smashed for texture while the rest stay whole for bite. Add diced shallot for brightness, dried cherries for a chewy sweetness, chopped pecans for buttery crunch, fresh parsley, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg — that tiny bit of nutmeg gives a subtle, cozy warmth that makes the salad feel autumnal.
All of that gets tossed with plain Greek yogurt, a splash of vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. I prefer this salad on the drier side — similar to how I like chicken or tuna salad — so it’s not overly wet. If you prefer creamier salads, add an extra tablespoon of yogurt.
Once everything is combined it’s ready to eat. The flavors meld and deepen after a day or two in the fridge, but it’s delightful right away too.
I love this salad on toasted bread — the crunch and texture are perfect together — but it’s also great on crackers, over greens, tucked into lettuce cups, or scooped with endive. Or straight from the bowl with a spoon. It’s that good.
Smashed Chickpea Salad
Smashed Chickpea Salad
1 cups of salad
20 mins
20 mins
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Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 shallot, diced
- ⅓ cup dried cherries
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus extra for spritzing
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- arugula or micro greens, for serving
- toast, for serving
Instructions
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Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to smash about half of the chickpeas.
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Add the diced shallot, dried cherries, chopped pecans, parsley, a big pinch of salt and pepper, and the nutmeg.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Add the dressing to the chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
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Serve as desired: on toast, over greens, in lettuce wraps, or with crackers. The salad keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
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This one is going to be a forever staple. Because YUM.