Creamy Southern-Style Chickpea Salad
When I was a kid, my Mom, or Meme as she was called by all her grandchildren, made some of best chicken salad around (I wasn’t always Vegan). This Creamy Southern-style Chickpea Salad captures all that wonderful taste and texture…without using any chicken or eggs. I can say without a doubt, THIS is some of the best Chickpea salad around! It’s perfect on a sandwich, with crackers or it can hold its own in the center of the plate!
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas, preferably organic
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle cubes, drained (I used my own homemade pickles, but usually use Mt.Olive brand pickles. Use what you have and like).
- 1/2 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
- 1/3 cup deli mustard (yellow mustard will do if that’s what you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo (If I’m not making my own mayo, I prefer Just Mayo brand. If you want to make your own mayo…and its super easy to do this…there is a great recipe over at The Simple Vegan Blog. It’s only four ingredients and comes together quickly.)
- 1 T. Coconut Sugar (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 1/4 tsp. black salt (you can find this at any Indian market and many grocery stores)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas
- Place chickpeas into bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 2-3 times until broken up but NOT pureed. You’re not going for a hummus texture here. Place chopped chickpeas into a large bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to chopped chickpeas. Gently mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.
- This Creamy Southern-Style Chickpea Salad is perfect served on toast or topping a mixed green salad. You can also make a fancy appetizer by putting a spoonful into a mini phyllo cup.