This 20 Minute Smashed Chickpea Salad Is The Perfect Lunch!

Oh hi! This smashed chickpea salad is my new favorite thing.

You guys. Oh my gosh you guys. WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

I actually just typed out “where has this bean all my life” and wow, what a perfect unintended pun.

But no, really. Where has this lunch bean all my life? Why have I not been eating it for years?

I am ALWAYS on the search for delicious lunches. Preferably things that I can make ahead, and while I do love leftovers, sometimes I need lunch ideas that are not leftovers. You know?

And most times I want a cold lunch. Not COLD cold, but not cooked either. Like I just don’t feel like heating up leftovers. 

However! The other thing I love? When a few lunches can be prepared successfully at once without any decrease in quality. Like a meal that only gets better with time, as it sits for a few days. I’m just a leeeeettle high maintenance about lunch. 

Beans are a huge part of my lunchtime game. These marinated white beans are some of my favorite. I have another marinated bean recipe for chickpeas in The Pretty Dish – I just find that they go with everything. 

They tend to be super easy to prepare, can be made well in advance and stay great in the fridge. Plus, they are ridiculously satisfying. And take on a whole variety of flavors. 

Enter this smashed chickpea salad!

I am obsessed.

I’ve seen versions of the chickpea “tuna” salad for years and even though these days I considered myself a much more savory person than sweet, the tuna-like version just never intrigued me. In fact, it did the opposite.

But when I thought about a lightly spiced chickpeas salad with dried cherries and nuts, like almonds or pecans, I was so sold. Almost more chicken salad-esque than tuna-like. 

Possibly better.

This is how it goes down!

You smash half the chickpeas in the bowl. Add in some diced shallot for a tangy pop, dried cherries for chewy sweetness, crunchy pecans for buttery crunch, and fresh herbs. The real secret is a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. It adds the perfect hint of spice and really tastes autumnal. 

Right now, I just want my entire life to be autumnal. In case you couldn’t tell. 

All of that gets tossed with some yogurt and mustard and vinegar and lemon juice. I prefer salads like this to be on the drier side. I do not like super wet chicken or tuna salad, so it only makes sense that I don’t love a super wet chickpea salad! If you find that this is too dry for your likely, I suggest an extra tablespoon of yogurt to make it creamier. 

Once it’s all mixed up, it’s DONE! It’s that simple. Of course, the flavors get a little better as it sits in the fridge, but it’s wonderful eaten right away too. 

I adore this on toast. That’s always going to be my favorite. I love everything on toast of course, the texture is perfection. But I also love eating this with crackers, on a salad or scooped up with endive. 

Or just with a spoon. It’s divine!

Smashed Chickpea Salad

Smashed Chickpea Salad

Yield: 1 cups of salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 20 minutes mins

This autumn smashed chickpea salad is perfect for make ahead lunches! Dried cherries, pecans, nutmeg and yogurt make this delicious.

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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 

• Place the chickpeas in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to smash about half of the chickpeas.
• Add in the shallot, cherries, pecans, parsley, a big pinch of salt and pepper and the nutmeg.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, vinegar, mustard and lemon juice. Add the wet ingredients to the chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Eat the salad as you wish! On toast, on salad, in lettuce wraps, on crackers, etc. This stays great in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

adapted from the kitchn

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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I appreciate you so much!

Going to be a forever staple. Because YUM.