Vegan Chickpea Salad with Grapes (Print Version)

Protein-packed vegan chickpea salad with crunchy almonds, sweet grapes, and a creamy dressing. Quick and fresh.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Crunch

01 - 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
02 - 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables & Fruit

03 - 2 celery ribs, diced small
04 - 1/2 cup red grapes, halved
05 - 1/4 cup dried cherries

→ Dressing

06 - 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
08 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a food processor, pulse the slivered almonds several times until crumbly, avoiding over-processing into powder or paste.
02 - Add drained chickpeas to the processor with almonds. Pulse several times until the mixture is flaky with some beans remaining whole. Do not over-process.
03 - Transfer the almond-chickpea mixture to a large bowl. Add celery, grapes, dried cherries, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.
04 - Refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - Serve chilled on croissants, bread with lettuce, over a salad, or with crackers.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes hearty and satisfying without any guilt, because chickpeas do all the heavy lifting for protein while staying completely plant-based.
  • The prep is genuinely quick—fifteen minutes from start to finish means you can make this on a Tuesday night without thinking twice.
  • It keeps for days in the fridge, so meal prepping becomes almost effortless, and it gets better as the flavors mingle overnight.
02 -
  • Overprocessing is the enemy here—I learned this the hard way when I once turned everything into a sad paste by getting impatient, and nobody wanted to eat it.
  • The mayo-to-filling ratio matters more than you'd think; too little and it feels dry, too much and it becomes a mayo delivery system instead of a salad.
03 -
  • Keep your vegan mayo cold and whisk it in gently at the end instead of stirring everything aggressively, which helps prevent it from breaking and turning grainy.
  • If you're bringing this to someone else's kitchen or serving it to a crowd, pack the dressing separately and combine it right before eating to keep everything as fresh and crisp as possible.
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