This chickpea salmon salad recipe is filled with a range of ingredients from savory and crunchy to soft and slightly sweet. While the salmon and chickpeas are the main stars, the other toppings and dressings like red onion, garlic and apple cider vinegar give this salad layers of flavor.
It’s simple to prepare and should take less than 10 minutes as you’re basically just mixing the ingredients together in a bowl.
I have to give the credit for this salad to my husband. While I narrowed down the ingredient amounts, he created this salad as a solution for healthy eating on the road when he is long-haul truck driving.
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❤️Why You'll Love This Recipe
It’s perfect for road trips or if your job has you on the road for days or weeks at a time for these reasons:
- The recipe uses mainly pantry items, like my corn nuggets recipe.
- No heating required.
- It can be easily prepared on the road and keeps for a few days (as long as you have a mini fridge).
- It’s a great alternative to eating out–which can be quite expensive these days–or microwave meals.
- It’s delicious!
🥘Ingredients
- canned salmon - My favorite type of canned salmon to use is boneless and skinless but you can choose to use the skin-on kind if that is what you prefer.
- lemon wedges - Serve the salad with lemon wedges for an extra pop of bright, citrus flavor.
- cilantro - I love using cilantro in my recipes for its bright, earthy freshness.
Chef's Note: When using apple cider vinegar, be sure to use the organic unpasteurized kind. Why? Because unpasteurized vinegar has something called ‘the mother’. ‘The mother’ is bacteria that is put into the apple cider in the vinegar-making process. It appears as stringy blobs at the bottom of the bottle, giving it a cloudy look.
Fun fact: the liquid from canned chickpeas can be made into vegan meringue by whipping it with cream of tartar.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
🔪How to Make Chickpea Salmon Salad
Step 1: Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Step 2: Drain the salmon and break into chunks.
Step 3: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Step 4: Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Give it a final mix.
Step 6: Serve with lemon wedges!
🥗Serving Suggestions
While this savory chickpea salad can be served all on its own, I recommend naturally sweet accompaniments if you’re looking to expand on the meal. While fresh fruit like mango skewers and grilled pineapple would bring tropical flavors to the salad, sweet potatoes are also a great side. You can check out how to grill pineapple here.
Sweet potatoes can be enjoyed baked in the oven, roasted, grilled, or fried if you want an extra crunch to your meal. When it comes to a side of bread, the crispier the better: think baguettes, sourdough or ciabatta.
🌡️Storage
This chickpea salad stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
❓Chickpea Salmon Salad FAQs
Canned chickpeas, precooked for convenience, can be enjoyed straight from the can (rinse to reduce sodium). Use them in a variety of salads for a delicious culinary experience.
Another common inquiry I receive is, "Are canned chickpeas cooked?" Absolutely, they come pre-cooked and ready to consume! Simply drain and rinse them before incorporating into your recipe.
This would be aquafaba, which is essentially the liquid found in a can of chickpeas.
🥬More Salads You'll Love
If you tried this Easy Chickpea Salmon Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Easy Chickpea Salmon Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas - drained and rinsed (19 ounce cans)
- 2 cans boneless skinless salmon - drained and broken into chunks
- ⅓ cup red onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro - chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- sea salt and pepper - to taste
- lemon wedges - to serve
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with lemon wedges!
Notes
- This salad stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
This salad is a 5 star recipe for its ease, portability and flavor. It’s a staple in our house!