Herby Lemon Mashed Chickpea Salad

This Herby Lemon Mashed Chickpea Salad is packed with flavor and made in just 15 minutes. It’s got a whole can of chickpeas, lemon, fresh dill & parsley, plus celery for crunch. You’ll love this delightful vegan make-ahead lunch!

What are the ingredients in this Herby Lemon Mashed Chickpea Salad?

This recipe combines both pantry staples like chickpeas and olive oil with fresh ingredients like herbs and lemon. Most of these ingredients just need a quick chop before mixing everything together. Here’s a list of the specifics:

• chickpeas – You’ll need one whole can of chickpeas for this recipe. The liquid from a can of chickpeas is called aquafaba. If you’re looking for a way to use it, here’s a list of 20 amazing things you can do with aquafaba.
• celery stalk – One stalk of celery is the perfect amount to add some crunch. If you’re eating the salad immediately, you can swap this for some chopped cucumber.
• green onion – Adding a thinly sliced green onion gives the salad a mellow savory bite. Also known as spring onions or salad onions.
• soft herbs – My recommendation is to choose two herbs you like and go from there. I normally go for flat leaf parsley and dill: they are normally plentiful at the store, and I can grow them in my garden in the Summer. I use the same combo in my Herby Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad.
• capers – Some roughly chopped capers will add a briny tang to the salad that helps bring out the lemon even more.
• lemon – Using both lemon zest and lemon juice give this salad the best flavor. After zesting, cut the lemon in half and use only one half for the juice at first before tasting.
• extra virgin olive oil – Oil will add moisture and richness to the salad. If you prefer a creamy salad, swap for 1-2 TB of mayo.
• sea salt & fresh ground black pepper – Salt and pepper will season the dish and bring everything together, including bring out the flavors of lemon and herbs.

Related: See all 50+ of my lunch meal prep recipes here!

Equipment you’ll need to make this mashed chickpea salad:

There are a couple specific kitchen items I recommend using when you make this recipe:

• For a cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!) for everything, except cutting raw meat.
• For my chef’s knife, I recommend a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!) – super high quality while being affordable. I used this knife for everything including cutting the herbs and veggies.
• For a zester, I recommend getting a Microplane Zester (affiliate link!) – you can also use this for garlic and ginger.
• For a flat-bottomed bowl and mashing the chickpeas, I used this 7-cup Pyrex round glass container (affiliate link!). You can make and store this recipe in the same bowl. Pyrex is great for food storage in general.

How to make Herby Lemon Mashed Chickpea Salad:

This simple mashed chickpea salad recipe comes together in just 15 minutes. It was positively meant for make-ahead lunches and quick on-the-go meals. Here’s how to throw it together:

Start with the can of chickpeas. Drain and rinse them, then transfer to a medium sized flat-bottomed bowl. Any bowl will work, but I personally think a flat-bottomed bowl makes the mashing process go much easier.

Pat the chickpeas dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Next, begin to mash the chickpeas with a fork. I did this by holding the fork in one hand and the bowl in the other, slowly rotating the bowl and mashing at the same time.

Continue mashing until you have roughly mashed nearly all the chickpeas in the bowl. It can take about 90 seconds to 2 minutes to finish the mashing. You could just go until your hand get tired, or you could even use a food processor if you prefer them very mashed.

It’s okay to leave a few whole, but otherwise, try to roughly mash as many of the chickpeas as you can. Then, stir in the celery, green onion, herbs, and capers.

Finish the salad by adding the lemon zest, lemon juice from 1/2 the lemon, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to the bowl. Stir everything in and then taste to see if it needs more lemon, oil, salt or pepper:

• For a brighter, more lemony salad, add the rest of the juice from the lemon.
• For a more savory salad or more flavor, add another heavy pinch of salt.
• For a bit more richness and moisture, add another 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
• Alternatively, if you prefer a creamy salad, swap the olive oil with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise.

You can serve this immediately (I have a hard time resisting a huge bite after I make it), but I like it even more once chilled. For meal prep, portion into 3 storage containers with crackers or other sides you prefer. Add an additional slice of lemon to squeeze over right before enjoying.

Best tips for making this salad at home:

Here are my best tips for making this mashed chickpea salad in your own kitchen:

• Use a sharp knife. Cutting and prepping lots of vegetables can take up some time, but using a sharp knife makes the process a lot safer and more efficient. I use my Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!) almost everyday!
• Refresh leftovers before digging in. In the recipe, I mention to include a slice of lemon in the portioned containers. This is for squeezing over the food before enjoying later on. It helps it taste even more fresh and vibrant!

What to serve with this recipe:

Here are some ways to serve and customize this chickpea mash salad:

• On its own with a spoon!
• In a pita (pictured at the top)
• With crackers (pictured below)
• On a sandwich
• Mix in other veggies like cucumber and tomatoes

Ways to meal prep this recipe:

This recipe works really well as a make-ahead dish based on the instructions given. Since it only takes 15 minutes, I recommend making the recipe start to finish, all at one time.

How to store Herby Lemon Mashed Chickpea Salad:

Store prepared chickpea mash salad in an airtight container (one container or portioned) for up to 4 days.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.