This creamy vegan chickpea salad with cranberries and walnuts is a quick and flavorful plant-based recipe with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in a creamy dressing with sweet cranberries and crunchy walnuts.
Make this recipe in 20 minutes with just a few extra if you make my recommended homemade vegan mayo recipe.

Because even my favorite vegan tuna salad recipe isn't enough chickpea salad for me, I decided to create a vegan version of a recipe I made decades ago but was tuna-based.
Then, my creamy vegan mayonnaise recipe (included in the recipe card) kicked me into action. There's just something about the combination of sweet, savory, and crunchy that is pure delight with a bit of healthy nostalgia.
Table of Contents
⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy with minimal prep.
- Great for meal prep and make-ahead-packed lunches.
- Safe to serve or sit at room temperature or set on a picnic or potluck table while you mingle.
📋 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
Chickpeas. Your target is 3 cups of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans). That's 2 regular cans. Use white beans like cannellini or white kidney beans as a substitute.
Celery. Add 1 cup celery for crunch and a little salt. Chilled cucumber is a good substitute, but chopped celeriac better mimics the texture of fresh celery.
Green onions. Use the white and green parts of green onions (scallions). Red onion is a little strong, so use less to start if you substitute.
Dried cranberries. Look for unsweetened cranberries or those packed in fruit juice with no added sugar.
Vegan mayo. For a nut-free option, make homemade mayo using ground sunflower seeds.
White balsamic vinegar. You'll also see it as white balsamic condiment, white Italian condiment, or Modena vinegar. Stock your pantry! It's my secret to delicious salad dressings and vegan pasta salad with Italian dressing.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
Use a base of vegan sour cream or sunflower sour cream with a few dressing ingredient adjustments like ¼ teaspoon of prepared mustard, garlic, and onion powder.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
- Crush the chickpeas in a large bowl with a potato masher or strong fork.
- Stir the dressing into the mashed chickpeas.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and enjoy.
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🔪 Pro Tips
- For the best texture, mash the chickpeas by hand. If you use a food processor, only pulse a few times, leaving a few whole or partially crushed chickpeas for texture.
- Adjust the flavorings after you've mixed the salad.
Denise's Pro Tip: If you are making homemade mayo (and you should), start this recipe by soaking the cashews. Prep the rest of the ingredients and mash the chickpeas while they soak.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
A cranberry walnut chickpea salad sandwich with homemade whole wheat bread is my favorite way to serve this tasty chickpea salad. It’s also delicious over a bed of leafy greens or tucked into toasted pita pockets. It's satisfying and hearty, and whenever or however I've served it, it's always a big hit.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Store vegan chickpea salad in an airtight container for 5 days in the refrigerator. Stir it before serving. Add a little lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar to thin it if necessary.
I don't recommend freezing chickpea salad because the crunchy ingredients, like celery, become soggy, and the salad loses flavor with the added water upon thawing. Make another cranberry, walnut chickpea salad sandwich and use those leftovers the next day.
The best substitute for white balsamic vinegar (condiment) is rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar with a little pure maple syrup for sweetness.
If you don’t want to use walnuts, pecans are a good option because they go well with cranberries. Sunflower seeds are also a tasty nut-free option.
You can substitute regular, non-vegan mayo in this recipe if you do not follow a vegan or plant-based diet. I recommend adding half the white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice to start and then taste and adjust.
🥗 More Vegan Chickpea Salads
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Vegan Chickpea Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts
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Ingredients
- 3 cups chickpeas - 2 cans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup celery - diced
- ½ cup green onions - 4-5 onions, white and green parts sliced
- ½ cup dried cranberries - no sugar added
- ½ cup walnuts - chopped
- 6 tablespoons vegan mayo - see notes
- 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt and black pepper
Vegan Mayo Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ teaspoon prepared mustard
- ⅓ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ - 1 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 - 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine the vegan mayo, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice in a jar or small bowl.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to a large or medium bowl. Mash chickpeas with a potato masher or strong fork. Leave a few whole for better texture.
- Pour the dressing over the chickpeas and mix well.
- Add the celery, scallions, cranberries, and walnuts to the bowl. Mix everything. Taste and add salt and/or pepper if desired.
- Taste, add salt and black pepper, or adjust the seasonings as desired.
How to Make Vegan Mayonnaise
- Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the cashews. Add them, the rest of the ingredients, and 2 tablespoons of water in a blend or spice grinder suitable for a small amount. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water as needed.
Notes
- If you make homemade mayo, start by soaking the cashews. Prep the rest of the ingredients and mash the chickpeas while they soak.
- Store leftover chickpea salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. Add a little lemon juice or balsamic to spruce it up if desired.
- don't recommend freezing this recipe.
- The best substitute for white balsamic vinegar (condiment) is white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or rice wine vinegar with a little pure maple syrup for sweetness.
- Make the dressing with regular mayo or vegan sour cream. Adjust the white balsamic and lemon juice to taste.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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