This mashed chickpea salad is a quick, creamy, and protein-packed recipe that gives you a healthy, flavorful lunch in minutes.
For more easy salads with Greek yogurt, check out our Greek yogurt broccoli salad, apple chickpea salad, healthy coleslaw with Greek yogurt, and Greek yogurt pasta salad.
Simple Ingredients for a Balanced, Protein-Rich Lunch
This mashed chickpea salad is one of those recipes that’s simple, wholesome, and ready in minutes 🥗. With a creamy base, fresh crunch, and a hint of lemon, it’s a dish that feels both comforting and refreshing.
Louise and I often make it when we’re craving something light yet filling. It’s a fantastic option for an easy chickpea salad recipe that supports a Mediterranean-style eating pattern and fits seamlessly into a balanced lifestyle.
Every spoonful is protein-rich, fiber-packed, and naturally low in saturated fats 🌿. Fresh herbs, crunchy veggies, and a tangy dressing keep it vibrant, while chickpeas provide the hearty texture that makes this salad so satisfying.
Whether you enjoy it as a healthy lunch sandwich idea, spooned over a baked potato, or served in lettuce wraps 🥬, it’s versatile, meal-prep friendly, and bound to become a staple in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Find complete ingredient list, quantities, and substitutions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
- Chickpeas: The star of the dish. Use canned for convenience or cook dried chickpeas from scratch for more flavor.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and protein with a tangy note. Substitute sour cream, mayonnaise, or mashed avocado.
- Mayonnaise: Classic for richness, although we only use a couple of tablespoons. You can swap with olive oil mayo, vegan mayo, tahini for a nutty spin, or leave it out entirely for a no mayo chickpea salad.
- Soy Sauce: Deepens flavor with umami. Sub tamari (gluten-free), coconut aminos (sweeter), or Worcestershire sauce if you don’t need it vegetarian.
- Mustard: Brings zest and sharpness. Dijon gives a smooth bite, yellow mustard is milder, or whole-grain mustard adds texture.
- Red Onion: Adds crunch and sharp flavor. Green onions or shallots make a milder swap, or use pickled red onion for tang.
- Celery: A classic salad crunch. Substitute cucumber, fennel stalk, or even diced bell pepper for freshness.
- Fresh Herbs: Parsley or dill bring brightness. Swap with cilantro for a punchier flavor, basil for a Mediterranean touch, or chives for a mild oniony lift.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens everything. Sub with lime juice, a splash of vinegar, or even orange juice for subtle sweetness.
- Pickles or Capers: Add salty, briny punch. Substitute green olives, jalapeños for spice, or relish for a sweeter note.
- Serve it with: Sandwich bread, baked sweet potato, or lettuce leaves.
How to Make Mashed Chickpea Salad
Step 1 – Mash the Chickpeas
Add drained and rinsed chickpeas to a large bowl. Mash them with a fork or potato masher until they’re broken down but still a little chunky. This gives the salad a hearty texture, perfect for a mashed chickpea sandwich.
Step 2 – Add all Ingredients
Stir in chopped red onion, celery, pickles, and fresh parsley. Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, soy sauce, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. The veggies bring crunch, freshness, and a little tang in every bite.
Step 3 – Stir Until Creamy
Mix everything well until it’s creamy and flavorful. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Step 4 – Serve Your Way
This chickpea salad is versatile and can be enjoyed in so many ways:
- Piled high in a sandwich with lettuce, cucumber, and tomato for a quick meal.
- Scooped into lettuce wraps, on crackers, or stuffed into cherry tomatoes for an easy appetizer.
- Served over a baked potato or sweet potato for a healthy lunch sandwich idea.
- In a bowl with greens and crusty bread for a light dinner.
Tips
- Mash well but not too much: Leave some chunks for texture — that’s what makes a great chickpea tuna salad.
- Drain thoroughly: Extra liquid from the chickpeas can make the salad watery. Pat them dry before mashing.
- Add crunch: Celery, onion, and pickles give contrast. Don’t skip them or your filling will feel flat.
- Brighten it up: Fresh lemon juice keeps the flavors fresh and balanced.
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad rest in the fridge helps flavors meld and makes it perfect for meal prep vegetarian lunch.
- Go heavy on herbs: Fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro add color and flavor.
- Make it your own: Swap Greek yogurt with mashed avocado, or add spices like smoked paprika for variety.
- Serve creatively: Beyond sandwiches, try it in lettuce wraps, baked potatoes, or as a topping for salads — a great option for a protein packed chickpea salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe stores well in the fridge for up to 3–4 days, making it perfect for meal prep vegetarian lunch.
If it feels dry after chilling, just stir in a little extra Greek yogurt, mayo, or even olive oil.
Absolutely. Try Greek yogurt, mashed avocado, or tahini for a creamy base. This way, you’ll have a flavorful no mayo chickpea salad.
Freezing isn’t recommended, since the yogurt and mayo can separate. It’s best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated.
Stuff it in lettuce wraps, baked potatoes, or use it as a dip with crackers and veggies.
Yes! Cooked-from-scratch chickpeas add more flavor and a firmer bite.
More Salads With Chickpeas
- Carrot chickpea salad
- Chickpea eggplant salad
- Three bean salad
- Greek orzo salad
- Chickpea cucumber salad
- Mediterranean chopped salad
- Dense bean salad
- No-mayo potato salad
If you tried this Chickpea Salad Sandwich recipe or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
Mashed Chickpea Salad (High-Protein w/ Greek Yogurt)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas 15 oz / 400 g each can — drained and rinsed
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or vegan mayo — optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1 handful fresh parsley or dill — chopped
- 1 tablespoon pickles or capers — chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste + black pepper
Instructions
- Mash the Chickpeas: Add 2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed) to a large bowl. Mash them with a fork or potato masher until they’re broken down but still a little chunky.
- Add all ingredients: Add in ½ red onion, 1 rib celery, 1 handful fresh parsley, and 1 tablespoon pickles (all chopped).Then add ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
- Stir: Mix everything well until it’s creamy and flavorful. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
- Serve your way: Enjoy this chickpea salad in a sandwich, lettuce wraps, baked potato, or with greens and crusty bread.
Notes
- Chickpeas → White beans, lentils, or cooked dried chickpeas
- Greek Yogurt → Sour cream, mayonnaise, or mashed avocado
- Mayonnaise → Olive oil mayo, tahini, or leave out for a no mayo chickpea salad
- Soy Sauce → Tamari, coconut aminos, or Worcestershire sauce
- Mustard → Dijon, yellow mustard, or whole-grain mustard
- Red Onion → Green onions, shallots, or pickled red onion
- Celery → Cucumber, fennel stalk, or diced bell pepper
- Fresh Herbs → Cilantro, basil, or chives
- Lemon Juice → Lime juice, vinegar, or orange juice
- Pickles or Capers → Green olives, jalapeños, or relish
- Sandwich Bread → Baked sweet potato, lettuce leaves, or whole-grain wraps
- Mash, don’t puree: Keep it chunky for the best texture.
- Dry chickpeas well: Pat them dry after rinsing so your salad isn’t watery.
- Balance the crunch: Celery, onion, and pickles add freshness and bite.
- Add brightness: Fresh lemon juice keeps the flavors lively and balanced.
- Let it chill: Resting in the fridge helps flavors meld.
- Boost with herbs: Parsley, dill, cilantro, or basil add freshness and color.
- Switch it up: Try avocado instead of yogurt, or toss in smoked paprika for extra flavor.
- Serve in different ways: Stuff into lettuce wraps, serve over baked potatoes, or pair with crusty bread.
Nutrition
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We’re here to share delicious, easy, and healthy plant-based recipes (vegetarian & vegan) 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
I am curious what a serving is? I am starting Weight Watchers and want to eat the right amount.
Hi David! On this recipe, 1 serving = 1/4 of the batch. Easiest way is probably to weigh the finished salad and divide by 4—that weight per portion is your serving. In volume, it’s roughly ¾–1 cup (this, of course, varies with add-ins). I hope this helps – and good luck on your WW journey 🙂
Fabulous and The flavour is similar to tuna salad. The addition of yoghurt really amplifies the taste.
I add a little oregano and Aleppo pepper as well to give it more zing! So far I’ve made it four times and my husband still thinks it’s tuna!!
Another wonderful recipe! I also add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast and use vegan coco yogurt instead of mayo! Thank you!!
Fabulous! Comes together in minutes and dissapears from the table in the same speed :)!
Nice to have a protein rich lunch idea. We found it somewhat bland. Personally I would add a bit of garlic and more capers or pickles.
I believe you left the celery out of the list of ingredients?
Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your thoughts, Marg! 😊 Garlic and extra capers/pickles sound like a delicious way to punch up the flavor. I love those briny, tangy notes too. This recipe is meant to be a bit of a blank canvas, so adding a little more of your favorite bold ingredients is a great idea. Oh, and well spotted – I now added the celery to the list 🙂
All the best,
Nico
I see chickpeas all the time at the store but never know what to do with them so I always end up overlooking them. I’m not going to overlook them anymore! Thanks for the ideas!
Yay, so happy that you feel like trying some chickpea ideas!! Have fun experimenting, there are truly so many easy ways to use them. Kindest, Louise
Delicious!! & easy to make. I can get several sandwiches from this recipe. & it tastes like chicken salad!
Thrilled you loved it Stefanie!! And yes, it’s great for sandwiches too. Kindest, Louise
Dear Nic! Thank you for this great recipe! Can you tell me how long I can store it in the fridge and keep the good taste, for instance if I want to prepare it for school or work the next day? Any experience? I wonder if it ever survived that long or if it was eaten faster than it could get to the fridge? 😅
Hi Eva, sure I get it! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days; it will be super delicious also on day 2 for your lunchbox!!
Best, Louise
What a creamy delicious salad…who needs chicken or tuna?!! Just made this now and am actually typing this review while devouring this chickpea fabulousness as a bunwich topped with sliced cucumber and sliced pickled beets. Thanks for another fab recipe!