These curry chickpea salad wraps come together in just 10 minutes using pantry staples and flavorful spices like Garam masala! They can easily be made vegan and are perfect for lunch.
If you need lunch and you need it quickly, look no further than curry chickpea salad! This chickpea salad is popping with Indian-inspired spices and is perfect in wraps, on bread, or in a salad.
These are great for a week of work lunches and are even a kid-friendly lunch box option.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Creamy and flavorful: Just like traditional chickpea salad, curry chickpea salad is made with a creamy base and canned chickpeas. Just add a few flavorful ingredients like garam masala, cilantro, and lime for a zesty twist.
- Quick and easy: Ready in just 10 minutes using wholesome pantry staples.
- Versatile: I love making these into wraps but they also go well on a spinach salad, as a snack with crackers, or on sandwich bread.
Check out this avocado salad and pesto salad for another way to make chickpea salad.
Main ingredients
This recipe is made of a few components: chickpeas, the creamy factor, and the crunch factor.
- Chickpeas: I'm not going to pretend that chickpeas have a similar texture to chicken salad, but they are a great vegan protein source. They are also super convenient, whether you are using canned chickpeas or chickpeas cooked from dry.
- Mayonnaise and lime juice combine to make a tangy and creamy base. Adjust mayonnaise amounts to your preference. Use vegan mayo for egg-free chickpea salad.
- Garam masala is a blend of ground spices used in Indian cuisine. "Garam" refers to heat and "masala" means spice, literally meaning "hot spices". While garam masala mixtures vary regionally and by family, the most common blends found in US supermarkets are made with coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Diced carrot, red pepper and red bell pepper add crunch. Feel free to get creative here with extra veggies like chopped broccoli, chopped cucumber, etc.
- We'll also add fresh chopped cilantro, roasted cashews, turmeric and a dash of hot sauce (optional but good if you enjoy a bit of heat!).
Step by step instructions
Pro tip: Canned chickpeas can be hard to mash. To make the process easier, simply simmer the chickpeas in about a cup of liquid for 5-10 minutes. Drain off the liquid and mash the chickpeas.
Curry chickpea salad is as easy as stir, mash and serve.
- Start by adding the drained and rinsed chickpeas, mayonnaise, spices, and lime juice to a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Mash with a potato masher or fork until the chickpeas are mostly broken down. I like to leave a few whole pieces of chickpeas but you can mash all of them if you prefer. You can even blend the mixture in a food processor if you want it to be super smooth.
- Add in the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
And that's it! This recipe is best served chilled.
Recipe FAQ
One 15-ounce can of chickpeas usually has about 1 and ½ cups of chickpeas. This recipe uses two cans or 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.
Keep leftovers refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days. Enjoy cold.
I haven't tried using curry powder but it should work. It will have a slightly different flavor than garam masala because curry powder is made of different spices.
Yes! Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
How to serve chickpea salad
If you've followed me for long enough, you know that I love meal prep recipes that don't have to be served the same way every day. Curry chickpea salad is great for this because it can be served in a wrap, on greens, or in a sandwich.
It's also a great blank slate for toppings like pickled onions or pumpkin seeds.
- In a wrap: Serve in a whole wheat wrap for extra fiber, or keep it classic with white wheat wrap.
- With extra healthy fats like avocado, chopped walnuts, or hemp seeds. Healthy fats provide omega-3s and make meals more satisfying/filling.
- With extra vegetables like spinach, lettuce, tomato.
- As a sandwich with your favorite bread, lettuce, and tomato.
- On greens like romaine or spinach for a curry chickpea salad that's actually a salad.
Want more vegetarian lunch ideas?
If you like this recipe you'll love my instant pot chickpea curry and these peanut sauce chickpea bowls.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the recipe card or a review down in the comments section. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow along on my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest or sign up for my newsletter!
Curry Chickpea Salad Wraps
Ingredients
For the Curry Chickpea Salad
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 3 cups chickpeas)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon garam masala see note 1
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice from one lime
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
- ½ cup finely diced red onion about ½ onion
- ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper about 1 bell pepper
- ¼ cup finely diced carrot about 1 medium carrot
- ¼ cup roasted cashews
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
For the Curry Chickpea Wraps
- 1 recipe curry chickpea salad
- 5 whole wheat wraps
- 2 and ½ cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
Instructions
Curry Chickpea Salad
- Combine chickpeas, mayonnaise, garam masala, turmeric, salt, black pepper, lime juice and optional hot sauce in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Use a potato masher or fork to mash the chickpeas until mostly broken down. I usually leave a few whole chickpeas but you can make it as smooth as you want.
- Stir in the red onion, bell pepper, carrot, cashews and cilantro. Taste for seasonings.
Wraps
- Place ½ cup of spinach in the center of a 9" tortilla. Cover with ½ cup of curry chickpea salad. Layer with additional toppings, like tomato or avocado. Fold in the edges and roll into a burrito. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Garam masala is a blend of ground spices like coriander, cumin, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This can be found in the spice aisle at most US grocery stores.
- Leftovers: Keep leftovers refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days. Enjoy cold.
- Nutrition calculations include wraps and spinach.
This post was originally published on September 17th, 2018. It was updated on January 11th, 2021 with new photos and a video. The original recipe remains the same with a few minor adjustments.
Ronnie Ronaldo
This was delicious! It would be good with lil bits of celery too if you’re into crunchy things
Cassidy Reeser
Thank you! I bet celery would be a delicious addition.
Maggie
This is so delicious! I love it, thanks for sharing. 🙂
Cassidy
Thank you!