Coronation chicken has been a popular dish in the UK ever since it was created to honour the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II back in 1953. And it's so ridiculously tasty that it deserves to be resurrected for King Charles' coronation!
The vegetarian version uses chickpeas instead of chicken, along with little nibbles of tasty dried fruit and fresh herbs in a creamy curry sauce.
I'm always amazed by just how much flavour you can get from just a few ingredients, and these coronation chickpeas are the perfect example. With just 6 simple ingredients and literally 5 minutes of effort, the amount of flavour is unreal!
And what's more, the flavour only gets better over time - so whip up a quick batch of this simple salad a little while before you need it, and it will be ready to go when you are.
We Brits are renowned for making something tasty from super simple ingredients (perhaps due to necessity during post-war rationing!), so check out my other British recipes for some more inspiration.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's such a quick recipe - it takes no more than 5 minutes of effort to make! Mix ingredients --> eat. Perfect.
- Since the flavours only get better over time, it's ideal for preparing in advance and keeping in the fridge for a couple of days until you're ready to eat.
- The flavours are just incredible, especially considering how simple it is to make!
- Coronation chickpeas are super versatile - serve them on toast, as a salad topper, or just on their own as part of a vegetarian mezze.
🥗 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. You'll also need a couple of cupboard staples, like salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- canned chickpeas
- mayonnaise (regular or light is fine)
- spring onions
- dried fruit - apricots, raisins, or a bit of both!
- curry powder
- cilantro (or parsley)
👌 Top tip
The recipe is easy to adapt with whatever mix-ins you feel like, so make it your own! You could swap the curry powder for your favourite spice, add some extra fresh and crunchy vegetables, or use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. See my creamy chickpea salad sandwiches for some more ideas.
📋 Instructions
Here's how to make this recipe - see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
Step 2: Mix well to combine. If you have time, leave the mixture in the fridge for an hour or so, or even overnight. Otherwise, they're great eaten straight away too!
Step 3: Serve chilled, on toast or salad.
👌 Top tip
Although these creamy chickpeas are delicious on all kinds of bread, I prefer to choose a crunchy kind, as it adds a nice bit of texture to the dish. Something like a crunchy baguette or a slice of toast is perfect.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Coronation chicken is a cold British dish that was created to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It has since become a popular dish for picnics, buffets, and sandwiches. This vegetarian version uses chickpeas instead of chicken.
Absolutely! It's delicious eaten straight after being prepared, but if anything, it's even better the next day. Just mix everything together, and store in an airtight tub in the fridge for a day or two until you're ready to serve.
Coronation chickpeas are best serve chilled.
🇬🇧 More Authentic British Recipes
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📖 Printable Recipe
Coronation Chickpeas
If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained (240g when drained)
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons dried fruit (raisins, chopped dried apricots, or a bit of both)
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Mix well to combine. If you have time, leave in the fridge for at least an hour. If you'd prefer to leave them overnight, transfer to an air-tight tub.
- Serve chilled with toast, crunchy bread (e.g. baguette), or salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Anna says
Simple, fast and very yummy.
Thank you for the recipe!
Becca Heyes says
Thanks Anna, glad you enjoyed them!
Sophie says
I'm always looking for more ways to use chickpeas- this was delicious, thanks a ton!
Lisa says
Thank you. I just have never heard of them. ;)
Lisa says
Can't wait to try this. Looks yummy!
Lisa says
What are sultanas?
[email protected] says
They're basically just like raisins, but they're a bit bigger and juicier. Raisins would be fine too, but try not to get the really hard black ones. I had no idea that other places didn't have sultanas!
Sam says
Oh, that sounds awesome. I've made chickpea salad many times, but the curry and sultanas will make for a great twist, much thanks for the recipe ♥
Daniela @foodrecipeshq says
What a lovely recipe! I'm going to make this coronation chickpea for my jacket potatoes now!
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
This is definitely a great picnic dish! I hope you have a wonderful time in France--I'm jealous! ;)
LittleMonsterx14 says
i love the inspiration behind this dish, it looks amazing!!
Dina says
great salad! sounds yummy.
Miss Messy says
This looks freaking delicious... I always want a veggie version :)