Curried Chickpea Salad

This delicious Curried Chickpea Salad is my version of a famous chickpea salad from Joan’s on Third in Los Angeles. And everyone who can’t visit L.A. to try the salad can make this favorite salad with curry flavors and chickpeas at home!

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My fondness for chickpeas has been pretty well documented on the blog, so when my brother Rand spotted this Curried Chickpea Salad in the reader-requested recipes from the Los Angeles Times he e-mailed it to me. I haven’t been to Joan’s on Third but it sounds like a place I should try to visit next time I’m in L.A.

And I loved this salad with so many of the flavors I think go well with chickpeas. If you’re a chickpea fan, this is a great salad to keep in the fridge for a snack or take to work for your lunch. I’ve made this several times since Rand sent me the recipe, and for myself I’ve settled on the version I’m sharing here that uses slightly more onion, turmeric, cumin, cilantro, and lemon juice than the recipe printed in the Times (which is no longer online).

I definitely like strong flavors though, so if you’re not sure how much you like one of those ingredients, you can use slightly less than the amount I’m giving in the recipe, then taste to see if you want more. But please try this if you like curry flavors and chickpeas; I bet you will love it like I do!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• canned Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• onion
• Ground Turmeric (affiliate link)
• ground cumin (affiliate link)
• ground coriander (affiliate link)
• cayenne pepper (affiliate link)
• chopped cilantro 
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• sea salt to taste

Can you cook your own chickpeas for the Curried Chickpea Salad?

You can definitely cook your own dried beans in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot, or even in a pan on the stove. You’ll need about 3 1/2 cups cooked beans for the recipe.

What if you don’t want cilantro in the Curried Chickpea Salad?

If you have tastebuds that don’t enjoy cilantro, just use thinly sliced green onion to replace it in this recipe.

How to Make Curried Chickpea Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Drain 2 cans of chickpeas and rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. (This rinsing removes some of the starchiness that makes beans hard to digest and also rinses off the salty brine they’re canned in.)
2. Let beans drain while you cook the onion in olive oil until the onions are lightly browned and starting to get crispy.
3. Then add the spices to the browned onion and cook 2-3 minutes more.
4. Add the chickpeas and cook a few minutes more, stirring so the onions and spices are well distributed in the chickpeas.
5. Stir in the chopped cilantro and lemon juice and cook 3-4 minutes more. Season to taste with a small amount of sea salt.
6. Let the salad cool, then transfer it to a plastic container and chill at least 30 minutes.
7. Before serving, taste to see if you want to add more lemon juice or salt. Serve cold or at room temperature.

More Salad Recipes with Chickpeas:

• Socca (Garbanzo or Chickpea Flatbread)
• Balela Salad (Middle Eastern Salad)
• Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes and Olives

Continue to Content

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Yield: Makes 6 servings

Curried Chickpea Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Curried Chickpea Salad is a delicious vegan salad that’s also low-glycemic, dairy-free, and gluten-free. And this is my version of a famous chickpea salad from Joan's on Third in Los Angeles!

Ingredients

• two 15 oz. cans Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well and drained
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (see notes)
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice (plus more to brighten the flavor when serving if desired)
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Drain chickpeas into a colander placed in the sink, then rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears and let chickpeas drain while you cook the onions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan or saute pan, add the onion, turn heat to medium-high and saute onions until they are lightly browned and starting to get crisp, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Stir frequently while the onions cook, and don’t let them get too browned or they will be bitter.
4. When onions are lightly browned, stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the spices are fragrant and slightly toasted.
5. Add the drained chickpeas and cook 2-3 minutes more, stirring so the spices and onions are well-distributed in the chickpeas.
6. Then stir in chopped cilantro and lemon juice and cook 3-4 minutes more.
7. Turn off heat and season to taste with sea salt.
8. Let the mixture cool, then transfer to a plastic container with a snap-on lid and let salad chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.
9. Serve cold or at room temperature, tasting and adjusting the flavor with more lemon juice and sea salt before serving if desired.
10. Joan’s on Third serves this cold as a salad, but I thought it was also pretty tasty while still warm and it could also be served that way as a side dish.

Notes

If you're not a cilantro fan, use thinly sliced green onion.

This recipe adapted slightly from Joan’s on Third Curried Chickpea Salad from the Los Angeles Times. The recipe is no longer online.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 270Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 0mgSodium 110mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 11gSugar 8gProtein 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Suggestions:
Chickpeas are high in carbs for a traditional low-carb diet plan, and although low-glycemic dried beans and legumes are approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, a serving size of 1/3 – 1/2 cup is recommended for phase one.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use theDiet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for a chickpea salad with curry flavors was first posted in 2011. It was last updated with more information in 2024.

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