This Chickpea Egg Salad is creamy, tangy, and ready in just 10 minutes with simple, everyday ingredients. A pinch of kala namak gives this vegan egg salad that classic eggy flavor, while the pulsed texture keeps it creamy with the perfect bite. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, it's a customizable, meal-prep-friendly lunch you'll make on repeat.
👩🏼🍳 A Quick Look at Chickpea Egg Salad
- 🕒 Ready in: 10 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 4 (½ cup each)
- 🍽 Calories: 188
- 💪 Protein: 4.5g
- 🔥 Cooking Method: No-cook
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- ❤️ Why You'll Love It: It delivers classic egg salad flavor and creamy texture. It's perfect for easy, make-ahead lunches.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON:
This plant-based twist on classic egg salad skips the hard-boiled eggs and swaps in mashed chickpeas for a hearty, satisfying base.
Tossed with crunchy veggies and coated in a creamy vegan mayo dressing, it hits all the familiar tangy, savory notes - without the eggs.
I love bringing this chickpea egg salad to family dinners, picnics, and parties since it stores beautifully and tastes even better the next day.
It was inspired by my vegan chicken salad and homemade potato salad, so if you enjoy this one, be sure to check those out too!
What Makes This Taste Like Vegan Egg Salad?
- Kala namak (black salt): Naturally contains sulfur compounds that create that unmistakable eggy aroma and flavor found in traditional egg salad. Just a small pinch makes a big difference.
- Dijon mustard + chopped pickles: Add the classic tang and brightness that balance the creamy base and give it that familiar deli-style taste.
- Turmeric: Provides a subtle golden color that mimics egg yolks without affecting the flavor.
- Creamy vegan mayo: Brings the rich, smooth texture that makes egg salad so satisfying and cohesive.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans): They'll be the main ingredient for our vegan egg salad. I like to use canned chickpeas to make this recipe faster. For a vegan egg salad without chickpeas, use the same amount of firm or medium-firm tofu.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base in our vegan egg salad. I'm using store-bought vegan mayonnaise, but homemade vegan mayo or cashew-based mayonnaise will also work.
- Black salt: Also known as kala namak, this is what will give the salad an eggy flavor. You can find it in an Asian or Indian spice store, in your local health food store, or you can order kala namak online from Amazon.
- Vegetables: Celery adds crunch and freshness while diced red onion brings a pop of flavor. Green onions work well if you prefer a milder onion flavor.
- Acidity: Adding lemon juice and pickle juice balances out the rest of the flavors by adding tanginess.
- Dijon mustard: I love the kick that Dijon mustard adds to this salad! But if you're not a fan, you can omit it, or use yellow mustard instead, which is milder.
- Fresh dill: This is a classic ingredient used in egg salad, and it takes it to the next level. Can be substituted with chives.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbed: Add a mix of different chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, chives, and oregano.
- Add Seasonings: Add in ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of curry powder or smoked paprika to enhance the flavors. If you want to add some heat, add 1-2 tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce to the salad, or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Avocado: Add ½ cup of cubed avocado or this guacamole without cilantro.
- Lighten it up: You can use all yogurt and 2 tablespoons of sesame tahini to mimic the texture of vegan mayo, or you can use half yogurt and half mayo.
How to Make Chickpea Egg Salad
Step 1: Pulse the Chickpeas. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Add the drained chickpeas to a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Make sure not to overblend; you want to have some texture.
Step 2: Add Ingredients. Transfer the chickpeas to a large mixing bowl, and add the diced celery and onion, mayo, pickles, chopped fresh dill, turmeric, black salt, lemon juice, and pickle juice to the bowl.
Step 3: Mix. Use a rubber spatula or a spoon to give everything a good stir. Make sure the mayo coats the rest of the ingredients evenly, and the turmeric blends well.
Step 4: Chill and Serve. Place it into the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. This allows time for the flavors to meld together. Serve with bread, crackers, or vegan tortillas!
Expert Tips
- Aim for the right texture: Use a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the chickpeas are mostly mashed but still slightly chunky. The goal is small chunks that keep a little bite, not smooth like homemade hummus. Stop as soon as small pieces remain, since over-processing can quickly turn it pasty. If you don't have a food processor or prefer a chunkier texture, mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher instead.
- Drain & dry the chickpeas well: After rinsing, let the chickpeas drain thoroughly or gently pat them dry before processing to prevent a watery salad.
- Adjusting the eggy flavor: Kala namak is potent, so if you're adding more at the end, start a little at a time and taste as you go. Too much can quickly make the salad overly sulfur-y and salty.
- Crunch factor: Dice the celery and pickles evenly but not too finely so they add crunch and give the salad that classic egg salad bite.
Vegan Egg Salad Recipe FAQs
The key ingredient is black salt, also known as kala namak. This mineral rock salt contains naturally occurring sulfur compounds, which give it the distinctive "eggy" aroma and flavor found in traditional egg salad. A small pinch added at the end brings acidic, savory, and umami notes that mimic the taste of cooked eggs surprisingly well.
Yes, this recipe is great for meal prep, as it can be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freezing isn't recommended as it changes the structure and makes it less appetizing. The mayo (even vegan mayo) can separate and become watery once thawed, and the mashed chickpeas lose their texture and turn grainy.
If you can't find black salt (kala namak), you can use regular salt for seasoning, but the salad won't have the same eggy flavor. For a deeper savory note, add a small splash of soy sauce or a pinch of nutritional yeast. You can also stir in a few dulce flakes for a subtle mineral-rich taste. Keep in mind that none of these fully replicate the sulfur compounds in black salt that create the classic egg-like flavor.
Yes! You can use a potato masher or a fork to mash the chickpeas instead of chopping them. This will result in a chickpea egg salad with a bit more texture.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this chickpea egg salad between two pieces of whole-grain bread as a vegan egg salad sandwich. To keep the sandwich from getting soggy, especially when making ahead, add 1-2 lettuce leaves to each piece of bread before adding the salad. Enjoy with a side of homemade Cajun fries.
You can also serve it in lettuce leaves and make lettuce wraps with it. Or, you can enjoy it as a salad on a bed of romaine with some chopped vegetables and scoop it up with some air-fried pita chips.
Enjoy it as a side dish for smoky tofu ham, vegan air fryer burgers, or our crispy cauliflower wings.
More Easy Chickpea Recipes
If you tried this Chickpea Egg Salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Chickpea "Egg" Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup chickpeas drained and rinsed (1 15-oz can)
- 3 tablespoon red onion, diced* (~½ of a small red onion)
- ¼ cup celery, diced** (~1 medium celery stalk)
- 3 tablespoon pickles, diced (~2 small pickles)
- ⅓ cup vegan mayo
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground black salt (Kala Namak) or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the drained chickpeas to a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Make sure not overblend, you want to have some texture.1 ½ cup chickpeas
- Transfer the chickpeas to a large mixing bowl, alongside the rest of the ingredients- diced celery and onion, mayo, pickles, chopped fresh dill, turmeric, black salt, lemon juice, and pickle juice.3 tablespoon red onion, diced*, ¼ cup celery, diced**, 3 tablespoon pickles, diced, ⅓ cup vegan mayo, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon pickle juice, 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, ¼ teaspoon ground black salt, ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Using a rubber spatula or a spoon, give everything a good stir. Make sure the mayo coats the rest of the ingredients evenly, and the turmeric dissolves.
- For best results, refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. However, if you don't have the time, it's also delicious served right away with bread, homemade vegan tortillas, pitas, etc.
Notes
- Texture Tip: Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor just until mostly mashed but still slightly chunky. Stop as soon as small bits remain to avoid a pasty texture. You can also mash with a fork or potato masher for an even chunkier result.
- Drain Well: After rinsing, let the chickpeas drain thoroughly or pat them dry to prevent a watery salad.
- Adjust the Eggy Flavor: Kala namak is strong, so add it gradually and taste as you go. A little goes a long way, and too much can make the salad overly sulfur-y or salty.
- Chop for Crunch: Dice the celery and pickles evenly but not too finely so they add texture and that classic egg salad bite. For more tips, check out these articles on dicing onions and dicing celery and carrots.
- Storing: Make ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. I don't recommend freezing it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
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