Two years ago, I discovered one of the most amazing staples in plant-based cooking: chickpeas. Also known as garbanzo beans, these beans are extremely versatile. They’re tasty in curries, when roasted or when used in salads. Even the liquid from the chickpeas — called aquafaba — is famous in vegan baking for creating fluffy meringues and cakes. Similar to an egg, potato or tuna salad, garbanzo beans have the creaminess to be the star of their own salad. 

During midterms, I meal-prepped this chickpea salad for numerous tasty and filling brunch meals. Perfect to whip up for a well-rounded munch between Zoom meetings, I usually slap some on toast with tea and stir-fry on the side and call it a quick meal. Some people also use chickpea salad as a dip for tortilla chips, Triscuits, Snack Factory’s pretzel crisps, etc. This dish is extremely filling due to its high protein content (19g of protein in 100g of chickpeas) and lasts in the fridge for a long time.

Celine Pun / Daily Nexus

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans of chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
  • Half cup of mayo 
  • 3 tsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp lemon
  • 4 tsp nutritional yeast (nooch)
  • 1 tsp dill
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Generous pinch of paprika 
  • Generous pinch of furikake
  • 2 stalks of celery (diced)
  • Half an onion (diced)

Directions:

  1. Mash the chickpeas with a fork, potato masher or food processor. When I did not have any of those, I pressed the chickpeas under a cleaver. The longer the chickpeas are smashed, the smoother their consistency will be. Some people compare their desired texture to tuna, which is slightly chunky. 
  2. Mix all the ingredients except for the celery and onion in a large bowl. Add more mayo if you prefer a thinner consistency. The mayo binds all the ingredients together. I used Kewpie mayo, a Japanese brand that is sweeter, but any mayo works! The furikake and soy sauce give the salad a salty umami taste. The dill and lemon brighten up the salad with sourness. 
  3. Fold the celery and onion into the salad to add some crunchiness to the dish. I prefer to add them afterward, so these vegetables do not absorb all the juices. 
  4. Enjoy on toast, as a side dish or as a snack with crackers!
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