Chickpea Apple Walnut Salad

A crunchy and sweet chickpea salad featuring apples and walnuts – perfect for sandwiches and salad bowls.

I love texture. The crispier and crunchier, the better. Carrots, crackers, apples, cucumbers, nuts, popcorn, chocolate chips – yes, even chocolate chips have a delicate crunch…

I may have a sweet tooth. Desserts are right up there at the top of my list of favorite foods. Breakfast for dinner, anyone? There’s a very real reason IHOP and Waffle House are open 24 hours a day. It’s all about the fruit and syrup. You know I’m right. Besides, sweet foods just tastes good.

This Chickpea Apple Walnut Salad meets both of my cravings – crunchy and sweet – plus, it’s chock-full of the rainbow – in colors and flavors. In every single bite, you’ll enjoy a hint of sweet, exquisite crunch, and a whole lot of perfection.

In addition to that vital crunch factor, the crispy apples, purple onions, and celery provide vital nutrients and fiber. Walnuts lend essential omega-3 fats and antioxidants and the fruits and veggies provide ample fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.

Though the star of the show is the garbanzo bean, which is often referred to as a chickpea. These little legumes provide even more fiber and antioxidants, some healthy plant-protein, as well as complex carbohydrates. And when these fresh ingredients are all combined together in this delicious Chickpea Apple Walnut Salad, the results are scrumptious!

Just look at these colorful beauties….

I hope you enjoy this Chickpea Apple Walnut Salad as much as I do. 

I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Ingredients

  • 2½ cups chickpeas (cooked and rinsed) or 2 cans
  • 3 celery stalks (about ¾ cup)
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 apple
  • 1 small red onion (about ½ cup)
  • ½ cup dried cherries or cranberries 
  • ½ cup mayonnaise or hummus
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, pickle juice, or lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp nooch (nutritional yeast)
  • 2 tsp mustard (I recommend 1 tsp Dijon and 1 tsp spicy brown)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Coarsely chop the chickpeas, celery, walnuts, red onion, and dried fruit.  You can also pulse this mixture in the food processor; but be careful not to make your chickpea salad too mushy.
  2. Add all of the remaining ingredients and combine well.
  3. Refrigerate until ready to eat and store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

The flavors really shine when you allow all of the aromatic ingredients meld for a couple hours in the refrigerator; but you can eat it as soon as you make it.

I like serving this chickpea apple walnut salad between two pieces of sprouted bread.  I love Aldi’s sprouted bread – It’s affordable, freezes well, and has a lower sodium version. It’s also great in pita bread or on a pretzel roll.

You can also dip crackers into this delicious chickpea apple walnut salad. Better yet, scoop some onto a bed of field greens or kale and heft on some of your favorite salad toppings like freshly chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.  The sky’s the limit!

Chickpea Apple Walnut Salad

Rachele (Pebbles and Toast)
Crunchy and sweet chickpea salad for sandwiches and salad bowls.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Salad, Sandwich
Cuisine American, Vegan
Servings 4

Equipment

  • food processor (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups chickpeas cooked and rinsed (or 2 cans)
  • 3 celery stalks about ¾ cup
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 1 apple
  • 1 small red onion about ½ cup
  • ½ cup dried cherries or cranberries
  • ½ cup mayonnaise or hummus
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar or pickle juice or lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp nooch nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp mustard I used 1 tsp Dijon and 1 tsp spicy brown
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Coarsely chop the chickpeas, celery, walnuts, red onion, and dried fruit. You can pulse this mixture in the food processor, but be careful not to make your chickpea salad too mushy.
  • Add all of the remaining ingredients and combine well.
  • Refrigerate until ready to eat and store all leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

• The flavors really shine when you allow all of the aromatic ingredients meld for a couple hours in the refrigerator; but you can eat it as soon as you make it.
• I like serving this chickpea apple walnut salad between two pieces of sprouted bread. I love Aldi’s sprouted bread – It’s affordable, freezes well, and has a lower sodium version.
• You can also serve atop crackers or on a bed of greens and cover with your favorite toppings like freshly chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. The sky’s the limit!
Keyword apple, chickpea, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, gluten-free, plant-based, salad, sandwich, vegan, walnut

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