Creamy Curried Chickpea Salad

Chicken of the bean aisle.

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Tuna might be chicken of the sea, but chickpeas are the chicken of the bean aisle—at least as far as I’m concerned. Need more convincing? This curried chickpea salad will seal the deal. Chickpeas are tossed in a creamy dressing spiked with Madras curry powder for a hearty deli salad that’s perfect for stuffing into bibb lettuce cups, sandwiching between bread, or eating just as it is.

This chickpea salad is inspired by the classic British coronation chicken, a popular tea sandwich filling consisting of chicken salad made with curry powder, mango chutney, celery, scallions, raisins, flaked almonds, and (typically) mayo. While some of these ingredients might seem a little strange for a deli salad, especially if you’re used to the typical mayo/mustard/pickle combo found in many American chicken or tuna salads, I find their punchier flavors are perfect for pairing with canned chickpeas, which don’t have a lot of inherent flavor straight out of the can.

Coarsely mashing half the chickpeas helps to create a cohesive base for this salad, as well as contributing to a more interesting texture. Skeptical? Just remember that hardboiled egg yolks basically do the same thing in an egg salad, and that when you open a can of tuna, not all the tuna stays in perfectly large even flakes.

The flavors in this salad will only deepen as it chills, so it’s great for make-ahead and meal prep. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Make sure to taste before serving and re-season with salt if needed!

Enjoy!

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Curried Chickpea Salad

(Makes 2 cups)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chill time

1 (14.5-oz.) can chickpeas, drained, divided

⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, preferably full-fat

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon Madras curry powder, plus more to taste as needed

½ teaspoon kosher salt (I used Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

¼ cup finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped scallion, light and dark green parts preferably

2 tablespoons dark raisins, plus additional for topping

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, plus additional for serving

Bibb lettuce or bread, for serving

Equipment: small bowl, fork, large bowl

Instructions

1. Pour half the drained chickpeas into a small bowl. Roughly mash with a fork until chickpeas are mostly broken down. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, stir together yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, salt, and cayenne until combined. Taste and add additional curry powder if desired.

3. Fold in whole chickpeas and reserved mashed chickpeas until combined, then gently fold in chopped celery, scallions, 2 tablespoons raisins, and 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro.

4. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.

5. Serve in bibb lettuce cups, topped with additional raisins or chopped cilantro, or make into a sandwich for a heartier lunch.

Originally posted May 22, 2022. Edited May 24, 2026.