Indian Chickpea Salad (or Chana Salad) is a refreshing, delicious, and healthy side dish made with chickpeas, vibrant vegetables, and a tangy dressing.
This protein-rich salad is super easy to make and ready in less than 10 minutes by simply tossing together a few ingredients.
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Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a great source of protein, are inexpensive, and keep you full for longer.
They are great for making salads but also are perfect for making curries (Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry), stews (Turkish Lamb Stew with Chickpeas), or dips (Mediterranean Hummus Dip).
This filling and satisfying Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad) is dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free
Why This Recipe Works?
- This healthy, refreshing, and simple Chickpea Salad is full of vibrant colors and fresh Indian flavors.
- No cooking is required! This delicious Indian Chickpea Salad is ready in just 10 minutes.
- It is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
- This fiber and protein-packed Indian Spiced Chickpea Salad is great for BBQs, picnics, or packed lunches.
- No fancy ingredients or equipment are required, extremely easy to make with simple ingredients, and very versatile.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Chickpeas
You can use both canned cooked chickpeas and dry chickpeas for this recipe.
If using dried chickpeas, simply soak them overnight or for at least 7 hours before cooking.
Cook them for about an hour or until soft on medium heat.
You can check my Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry recipe if you want to learn how to cook dried chickpeas from scratch.
Make sure you don't overcook the chickpeas or they get mushy. Bring them to room temperature before using them in the salad.
- Fresh vegetables - I use crunchy veggies such as cucumbers, red capsicums, red onion, and pickled red cabbage (fresh would work great too) for this salad but you can use other fresh veggies such as beetroot, carrots, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and potatoes.
- Dressing - A simple salad dressing made with lemon juice or lime juice, olive oil, and cumin is perfect for this salad. Add some vinegar if you would like to add some extra sharpness.
- Fresh herbs - Coriander leaves, parsley, dill leaves, or mint leaves work great with this refreshing chickpea salad.
Add-on Options for Chickpea Salad:
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Diced avocado
- Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
- Roasted courgettes and/or eggplants
- Nuts
- Diced Mango
Step-by-Step Instructions
Although this is a very simple recipe, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:
Wash and deseed the red pepper and slice them.
Wash, dry, and finely chop the fresh cilantro.
Peel and slice or dice the cucumbers.
If using large European cucumber or English cucumber, I would suggest you deseed them before slicing.
Drain and wash the chickpeas (if using tinned) and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the vegetables, coriander, chili, and salt into the bowl with chickpeas.
Mix the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and cumin powder in a small bowl and whisk until all combine.
Add the dressing to the vegetables.
Gently toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve in a large salad bowl or individual salad bowls.
Top Tips From the Chef
- You can batch-cook dried chickpeas and keep them in the freezer already portioned to use them in salads or making Chicken and Eggplant Fatteh instead of using canned chickpeas.
- Ensure that your vegetables are chopped uniformly for a pleasing texture. You can dice them finely or keep them a bit chunky, depending on your preference.
- If you like it extra hot, add chopped green chilies, red chili flakes, or a pinch of red chili powder. Adjust the spice level to your taste.
- When mixing the ingredients, taste the salad as you add seasonings. This way, you can adjust the flavors to your liking.
- After assembling all the ingredients, allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- This salad is best when eaten fresh. However, you can cook the chickpeas in advance and keep them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy this delicious Chickpea Salad on its own as a light lunch/dinner or serve it as a side dish along with Spinach Borek (Ispanakli Borek), Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Peas, Tandoori Chicken, Thai Fish Cakes - Tod Mun Pla, or Hunkar Begendi (Sultan's Delight).
This colorful and refreshing Chana Salad would be also a great accompaniment for grilled meat or fish.
Why not try it with some BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte, or Lamb Shish Kebab?
How to Store the Leftovers?
Chana Salad should be stored in an air-tight container or a covered bowl with a tight-fitting lid.
Make sure it's sealed properly to prevent moisture loss and to keep the salad from absorbing odors from the refrigerator.
Chana Salad can typically be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
However, its freshness and texture may degrade over time, so it's best when consumed within the first couple of days.
Chana Salad is not suitable for freezing.
Freezing can alter the texture of the vegetables and herbs, making the salad less appealing when thawed.
Recipe FAQs
This salad is best when eaten fresh.
However, you can cook the chickpeas in advance and keep them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Chickpeas are packed with fiber that keeps you full for longer.
They are also high in protein, vitamins, and nutrients that help you to control your appetite, and manage your weight.
Yes, this delicious salad is vegan as well as gluten-free, and nut-free.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and healthy salad recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this refreshing, healthy, and filling Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad)
Equipment
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (400 g) (washed and drained)
- ½ red bell pepper (sliced)
- ½ red onion (sliced)
- ⅓ cup red cabbage (shredded)
- ½ cup coriander (chopped)
- 1 Persian cucumber (sliced)
- 1 red or green chilli (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
Instructions
- Drain and wash the chickpeas and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the red peppers, parsley, rocket leaves, currants, and grated carrot to the chickpeas.
- Make a dressing with olive oil. lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a small bowl then add to the salad.
- Gently toss the vegetables with the dressing and serve in a large salad bowl or individual salad bowls.
Notes
- You can batch-cook dried chickpeas and keep them in the freezer already portioned to use them in salads instead of using canned chickpeas.
- If using large European cucumbers, I would suggest you deseed them before slicing.
- This salad is best when eaten fresh. However, you can cook the chickpeas in advance and keep them in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 5 days.
- 1 portion of this healthy Chickpea Salad contains only 68 kcal! A perfect dish for weight loss.
- This delicious chickpea salad is vegan as well as gluten-free, and nut-free.
- Ensure that your vegetables are chopped uniformly for a pleasing texture. You can dice them finely or keep them a bit chunky, depending on your preference.
- If you like it extra hot, add chopped green chilies or a pinch of red chili flakes. Adjust the spice level to your taste.
- When mixing the ingredients, taste the salad as you add seasonings. This way, you can adjust the flavors to your liking.
- After assembling all the ingredients, allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Sarah
Amazing dish, great instructions. Yummy yummy
Ayla Clulee
Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your kind words 🙂
Best wishes
Ayla
Ayla
Just made this today and it is incredIble!