Name: Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 8 Servings
Cuisine: American

Balancing Bowls Verified

January 28, 2026

What's great about a flexitarian recipe like this is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can easily shift it toward vegan by leaving out the chicken, or keep it more traditional by adding chicken in. It's also an ideal recipe when cooking for a crowd with mixed dietary needs: tahini instead of mayo makes it dairy-free, and removing the chicken keeps it vegan.

Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing

Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing cover

From the Cook

1/8

Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing

Balancing Bowls Verified

Ingredients

WarningTreenuts and 4 other allergens identified

Instructions

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Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, water, olive oil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add more water as needed to thin.

In a large mixing bowl, combine chickpeas, celery, red onion, cranberries, walnuts, and apple.

Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and stir until evenly coated.

Taste and adjust with extra lemon juice, salt, or pepper to your liking.

Chicken Variation:

Replace 1½ cans of chickpeas with 8 oz cooked, chopped chicken.

Mixed Batch Option:

To serve both versions at once, split the recipe base after combining the celery, onion, cranberries, walnuts, and apple. Use 1½ cans of chickpeas in one bowl for the vegan version, and in a second bowl, combine 1½ cans of chickpeas with 8 oz cooked chicken. Divide the dressing evenly between both bowls and toss to coat.

Smart Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Chickpea Prep Magic 💫
Pat chickpeas completely dry after rinsing to ensure they absorb the dressing better and prevent a watery salad texture.
Tahini Dressing Trick 🥄
Whisk tahini with warm water first to prevent separation and create a smooth, emulsified dressing that coats ingredients evenly.
Flavor Layering Technique 🌈
Macerate diced red onions in lemon juice for 10 minutes before adding to the salad to soften their harsh bite and infuse citrusy notes.
Texture Balance Pro 🥜
Toast walnuts briefly to enhance their nutty flavor and ensure they add a crisp contrast to the soft chickpeas and tender chicken.
Make-Ahead Master 🕰️
Prepare the salad without adding the dressing and store components separately in the refrigerator, mixing just before serving to maintain optimal texture and freshness.

Intelligent Tags

About the Cook

Balancing Bowls

I'm Nora! Balancing Bowls is the product of a slightly chaotic life, a need to make and grow things, and a love of creative cooking. If you're here because you're trying to feed your family well without losing your mind, you're in the right place.