Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing

Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing cover

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Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Chickpea Chicken Salad with Tahini-Mustard Dressing

Salad

3 cans chickpeasdrained and rinsed

2 ribs celerydiced

¼ cup red onion or shallotminced

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup walnutschopped

1 applechopped

Tahini-Mustard Dressing

6 tablespoons tahini

4 tablespoons waterplus more as needed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons lemon juice

2 lemonsZest

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground

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.

Nutrition

My Calorie Intake

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Toast Your Walnuts 🥜
Lightly toast walnuts in a dry skillet for 3-4 minutes before adding to the salad to intensify their nutty flavor and add crucial textural contrast to the soft chickpeas.
Emulsify Your Tahini Dressing ✨
Whisk tahini with lemon juice first before adding oil—this creates a proper emulsion that prevents the dressing from separating and ensures a creamy, cohesive consistency.
Macerate Your Onions 🧅
Toss thinly sliced red onion with a pinch of salt and lemon juice 10 minutes before assembling to soften its bite while developing complex, tangy flavor notes.
Dry Your Chickpeas Thoroughly 💧
Pat canned chickpeas completely dry with paper towels before mixing to prevent excess moisture from diluting your dressing and weighing down the final texture.
Dress Just Before Serving 🥗
Add the tahini-mustard dressing only when ready to serve, as the acidic lemon juice will soften the apple and celery if left to sit—keeping ingredients separate until the last moment ensures crisp, fresh textures.