Whether it’s over rice, in a sandwich, or in a nori roll, this quick and easy smashed chickpea salad is a lifesaver to keep in the fridge. Not only is it extremely versatile, but it’s also nourishing and filling. The only cooking required is for the chickpeas, but if you have canned or pre-cooked chickpeas, this dish takes 10 minutes to put together! Another reason why I have this salad on rotation is because it’s creamy but doesn’t use any mayo! The creamy sauce comes from mashing a cup of the chickpeas with the wet ingredients really well before tossing in the veggies and remaining chickpeas.
For the veggies, use what you have and what’s available to you. I couldn’t find celery so I went with celeriac. If you’re not a fan of corn, go with carrots for that sweetness. Try to use a variety of veggies to keep this dish delicious and nutritious. Just avoid mixing in watery vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers, you can serve those on the side.
Quick and Easy Smashed Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 2 hours
Serving: 3-4 portions
Ingredients
- ¾ cup(125g) dried chickpeas or 2 ½ cups(425g) cooked chickpeas
- ½ tsp baking soda*
- ½ cup (50g) chopped celery or celeriac
- ½ cup(75g) sweet corn
- ⅓ cup(75g) chopped red bell pepper
- ¼ cup (15g) chopped parsley or dill
- ½ cup(70g) chopped pickles
- 1-2 scallions, chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small green chili pepper, optional
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp pickle brine
- 1 tsp miso paste or 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp BBQ sauce, optional
Spices:
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- 1 tsp thyme
Notes:
- The baking soda makes the water more alkaline so the chickpeas will be more tender and cook faster.
Instructions:
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight. Next day, rinse and cook with ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt until tender. Rinse with water, drain, and set aside.
2. Wash and dice all the veggies finely, set aside. Grate the garlic. In a large bowl, add 1 cup of the cooked chickpeas, along with the mustard, pickle brine, lemon juice, olive oil, miso paste,BBQ sauce, and seasonings. Mash until the chickpeas are broken down and creamy.
3. Once the sauce is ready, add in the remaining 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas along with the chopped veggies and garlic. Mix until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed, and voila! In 3 easy steps, you have a nourishing and comforting salad. Now you can serve it however you like.
I served this salad in a sandwich, along with pickled onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and more pickles (duh). But this would work really well over some rice, a drizzle of soy sauce, and chopped cucumbers or in kimbap!