Creamy Lemon Chickpea Salad with Goat Cheese
I had real trouble naming this recipe because there are so many delicious ingredients that I wanted to include in the title – but I don’t think ‘creamy chickpea salad with lemon, goat cheese, walnuts, red onion and arugula’ would have been particularly catchy.
So, here’s where I ended up. But really, this easy chickpea salad is a mish mash of wonderful flavours and textures, with a bit of crunch, some freshness, creaminess, and a nice bit of tang… it’s got a bit of everything.
This recipe was inspired by my creamy chickpea salad sandwiches – but this time I added lots of extra tasty bits to take it to the next level. The original recipe is super adaptable, as you can see! Chuck in whatever you like, for a super quick and easy vegetarian lunch.
This time I stuffed the creamy salad into pitta bread, but you could equally use it as a sandwich filling in some crusty bread, scoop it up on crackers, or dollop it over your favourite salad leaves.
⭐️ How to make a Tasty Chickpea Sandwich Filling
As with most of my recipes, you can really make this one your own. If you’re not a fan of my chosen ingredients, feel free to mix things up! You could make this creamy chickpea salad every week, and never make it the same way twice.
If you like, you could stick with the same ‘formula’ to ensure you end up with a nice balance of ingredients.
- Veggies – I used red onion, but you could swap for spring onions, chopped bell peppers, sweetcorn, black olives, grated carrot, diced cucumbers, or whatever else you fancy.
- Nuts – I used some chopped walnuts for a wonderful bit of crunch. You could swap these for pine nuts (toasted, if possible!), peanuts, cashew nuts, or whatever’s your favourite.
- Cheese – I used some soft goat cheese, but crumbled feta, grated cheddar, or even a dollop of garlicky cream cheese would be amazing additions.
- Greens – I mixed some arugula (rocket) through my chickpea salad, which works really well, as it’s a tasty, peppery leaf. You could swap it for any other greens, like watercress or chopped spinach, if you prefer.
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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this creamy chickpea salad. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- chickpeas – I always use canned, for convenience.
- mayonnaise – this is what holds everything together. If you prefer, you could use Greek yogurt or sour cream instead.
- arugula (rocket)
- soft goat cheese
- lemon juice – I used freshly squeezed, but lemon juice from a bottle also works.
- walnuts
- red onion
Becca’s Top Tip
This salad is best served chilled, so if possible, prepare it in advance, and store it in an airtight tub in the fridge for an hour or two before serving, to make sure it’s nice and cold. It’s best eaten up within a couple of days.
🖨️ Printable Instructions
Creamy Lemony Chickpea Salad
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 1/2 small red onion (or 1/4 large red onion)
- 40 g (~ 1 1/2 oz) walnuts
- 60 g (~ 2 oz) soft goat cheese
- 400 g tin chickpeas, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 1 large handful fresh arugula (rocket)
- 1 heaped Tablespoon mayonnaise (I used light)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the red onion, walnuts, and goat cheese. My goat cheese was a little gooey for my liking (rather than crumbly), but it still worked just fine.
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, and mix well to combine.
- If you have time, chill the salad in the fridge for an hour before serving. I served mine inside a toasted pitta bread.
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.
💭 Recipe FAQs
If possible, you’ll prepare the salad an hour or so before you need it, to give it a chance to chill in the fridge. However, it can be eaten straight after mixing if needed. It can also be stored in an airtight tub in a fridge for a couple of days if needed.
This lemony chickpea salad is ideal served in pitta bread, or as a sandwich filling with crusty bread. It could also be scooped with crackers, or dolloped over a salad or jacket potato.
Whoa! These look INCREDIBLE! Literally perfect dinner for a post run meal! So much nutrition, and goats cheese is my absolute favorite! I need to try these right now. YUM!
Hi Becca! I can’t wait to try this! It looks so delicious .
-Gina from Always Savory
This recipe is fantastic! Just what I needed.. a taste of summer on a cold Chicago day! Love your blog:)
I am a big lover of chickpeas, both for their health benefits and general deliciousness! This sandwich sounds amazing, beautifully balanced deliciousness. Love the photos too! x
Delicious. Ate with toasted walnut bread which worked well. Love your site. Veggie paradise.
That sounds fantastic! I actually haven’t made this recipe in a while, I think I’ll have to make it again soon and try it your way :) thanks for stopping by! Hope to have you back soon!
This is a fabulous website! I found you via a recipe in Pinterest and i have bookmarked your site. Writing from Chicago…
THank you!
I make a similar chickpea salad but it doesn’t have the walnuts or goat cheese. I’ll have to give your version a try! Pinned!
Hi, Becca! This recipe is amazing (well … not surprising since it includes goat cheese, right!?!?). I love the improved texture of beans and chickpeas that have been soaked, but I really just don’t normally have the time (or … ahem … have not planned far enough ahead …) so I pretty much always use canned. Hey – if it can get this salad into my mouth faster, it’s worth it! :D
I’m loving the look of this. Chickpeas in sambos are my new day-dream subject of choice. I’m thinking about zucchini, chickpeas and parmesan. But I like the look of this too, so will give it a try.
I’ve never tried using dried beans, although I remember my mother doing it long ago. Too long ago for me to remember. This salad sounds great, really bright flavors for summer. I am one of those weird mayo haters, but I think sour cream would work well :)