Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
My favorite chickpea salad recipe, made with grated carrots, chopped celery, fresh dill, and lots of chickpeas. Easy to make and packs well for lunch!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
First recipe of 2017: My new favorite chickpea salad. It’s crisp and fresh, with lots of zip. I’ve been eating it straight from the bowl, and even used it as a protein-rich topping for some cheesy nachos the other night. That’s what I like to call a balanced meal.
I’m so glad I finally moved to a better kitchen. Now that I have an open, light-filled cooking space, I’ve found myself spontaneously creating recipes at dinnertime again. Stay tuned for more salads and soups soon. I’m so close to having an organized office space and a more regular posting schedule again.
I can’t take full credit for this one, though. I was immediately smitten with the original concept on Serious Eats. Loads of fresh dill? Say no more. I tinkered with their recipe quite a bit, like I do, to make it a delicious lunch or side made with canned chickpeas. Mine has chopped celery, green onions, and extra carrots.
I grated the carrots in my food processor, which reminded me—I recently learned that the sharp metal blade on my beloved food processor (and the machine that I have recommended for years) is at risk for breaking into pieces. Kinda dangerous. If you have a Cuisinart food processor, you can get a replacement blade here.
Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill
My favorite chickpea salad recipe, made with grated carrots, chopped celery, fresh dill, and lots of chickpeas. This protein-rich salad is perfect for potlucks, packs well for lunch, and it’s easy to make! Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (15 ounces each), rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 cups grated carrots (about ¾ pound or 5 to 6 medium carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with a grating attachment)
- ⅔ cup chopped celery (about 2 long stalks)
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill leaves (I used one 0.75 ounce package)
- ½ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 medium-to-large clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, carrots, celery, green onions, and dill. Set aside.
- Toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are starting to turn golden and make little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- To prepare the vinaigrette, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, garlic, salt, and about ten twists of pepper. Whisk until blended and pour all of the dressing over the chickpea mixture. Add the toasted pepitas to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Taste, and add additional vinegar (for more zing, I usually add another tablespoon) and/or salt (for more flavor overall, add another pinch). For the best flavor, let the salad marinate for 30 minutes or even overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.
Change it up: Instead of dill, I think you could use chopped cilantro and/or parsley, whichever you prefer. For more of a punch, try adding thinly sliced Kalamata olives and/or crumbled feta cheese. You can also serve this salad over fresh greens with extra oil and vinegar, make a wrap out of it with hummus, etc.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Oh gosh, I’ve definitely taken something uberhealthy and then stacked it on top of nachos. ya gotta live a little.
I adore a good chickpea salad, this one looks divine!
Here, here! Thanks, Annie.
This looks soooo delicious! I am totally going to try it! Thanks for sharing :)
Hope you love it, Megan!
Recipe looks great! Thanks for mentioning the cuisinart blade recall!! Scary to think of it breaking off!
Thanks, Kelsey! And yeah, I would hate for the blade to break off in anyone’s food!
Thanks for the tip about the food processors – mine is subject to the recall and I hadn’t heard that at all! My new blade is on its way. This salad looks lovely and I happen to have all these things in my pantry so I’m going to give it a go tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I just heard about it through friends the other day. I still need to order my new blade! Hope you loved the salad.
We did! It was a big hit. We actually decided recently after months of regularly eating your veggie tortilla soup that we should check out what else you have to offer. We’ve made nothing but CookieandKate recipes in the last week and every single one has been a hit. Looking forward to another week of checking out your recipes! Thank you for all the hard work you put into making such great, clear, easy to follow and amazing tasting recipes!
This looks so refreshing!
Thanks, Sara!
Thanks for telling us about the recall. I had no idea and I have one of the broken ones. Salad looks lovely, as always. Excited about your new kitchen!
Mine is a broken one, too. Yikes. Thank you, India!
I can’t seem to print your recipes. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Mary Jo, there is a “print” icon for the recipe itself, right under the recipe title. Have you been using that? It should open up a new window with a print-friendly version of the recipe.
Wow, I can’t wait to try this! It looks so healthy and fresh. Thanks for your great recipes Kate!Happy New Year :)
Thank you, Amber! Happy New Year!
I was shocked to get notice that I needed to replace my sharp blade. My current processor is fairly new, but I’ve been using them for a very long time.
This salad sounds intriguing, but I’m not sure about having large quantities of fresh herbs in salads. For me the flavors tend to be overpowering.
I’m glad my friends told me about the recall. I’m a fiend for fresh herbs, but you could definitely get by with less here.
This recipes sounds great and I can’t wait to try it. SAVE the liquid from the canned chickpeas: it’s called AQUAFABA, and can be used to replace egg whites, and even whipped into a meringue. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s on my list of things to try this year.
Love this blog and your wonderful recipes. Happy New Year!
PS: I also ordered a new Cuisinart blade.
Thanks, Donna! I haven’t tried playing with aquafaba yet, but it’s on my list. Happy New Year!
Thank you for the recall info.
You’re welcome!
This looks and sounds amazing! Perfect for packed lunches
Thanks, Karlie!
This popped up just at the right moment ~ I’m doing my shopping list! It looks like just the sort of delicious, cleaner eating recipe I’m ready for after Christmas. Thank you!
Happy New Year!
I hope you love the salad, Deborah! Happy New Year!
Hi Kate,
I am a fan of your recipes and sometimes I have to substitute ingredients because I don’t have them…about 30 miles from nearest real grocery store.
We love hummus so my husband the chef always cooks extra chickpeas and freezes them. I thought wow what a great recipe to try.
I substituted fresh dill for dried….I know how horrible and added 2 fresh jalapeños and traded sherry for white balsamic vinegar. I love it!
It has nice flavors with a little bite, which we love in the Southwest.
Thank you, Audrey! Your version sounds great to me. Glad you could make this one work!
Yum! Looks so perfectly healthy & delicious!
Kari
Thanks, Kari!
Thanks so for the information on the blade recall for CuisinArt. It’s hard to keep up with those things and I use my food processor all the time. And thank you for your healthy and thoughtful recipes– I love visiting your blog to get great vegetarian ideas for my family.
Thank you very much, Megan. I’m glad you caught the recall information. Happy New Year!
Thanks for the recall notice, Kate! My Cuisinart is over 20 years old. I wouldn’t have known anything about this, if not for your post. My new blade is on its way.
Looking forward to trying this recipe, too!
Glad to spread the word! I actually still need to order my new blade. Hope you love the salad!
Will be making this but I also appreciated the heads up on the blades. I checked ours and a metal piece was missing Hopefully it had come out in the wash one time and not the food!!
Yikes! Glad no one got hurt. My blade actually broke and I heard the metal piece bang against the wall of the food processor and I fished it out. I was in such a crazy cookbook recipe-testing phase that I didn’t think much of it!!!
Anything with dill will get my attention. For such a delicate herb, it packs a punch that can take any dish to another level. Pinning for later.
Agreed! I love dill, too. Hope you enjoy this one, Paul.
ummm, this looks magical
Thanks! :)
I love chickpeas! A colleague once cooked chickpea stew and it was delish. I might as well try this recipe.
Chickpea stew sounds great! Hope you love this salad.
How would apple cider or a mix of balsamic and white vinegar work instead?
Looks divine- perfect for giving me a new way to fit in my go up shack of pepitas! Perhaps even some dried cranberries
Those all sound like great variations! Enjoy.
Made this last night…it was cold and windy so put it on cheesy nachos (as suggested). It was so, so good. Comfort food (nachos) plus the healthy stuff on top. Easy to change if you don’t have exact ingredients. Used parsley instead of dill and toasted slivered almonds instead of pepitas. And, goat cheese on top.
Now my stomach is growling! Glad you enjoyed those unconventional nachos. :)
This looks just like my kind of salad.
Hope you had a good christmas Kate!
Thank you, Angela! Happy New Year!
this was SO good! i didn’t measure exactly, but i roughly halved the recipe and used braggs ACV instead of sherry vinegar. it’s divine! and so easy to make ahead for busy weeks.
Thanks, Olivia! So glad you enjoyed it.
Some of my favourite ingredients are in this salad! Fresh dill is my all-time favourite herb (next to cumin and basil!). I make a similar chickpea salad. However, the next time I make it I think I’ll be adding carrots and dill!
Hey – glad you found some inspiration here!
This looks so fresh, I can almost taste the crunch! I love the idea of using dill with chickpeas and carrots. Do you think it would still taste ok without celery?
Thanks, Dominique! You can skip the celery, but I love the crunch that it provides.
This looks like a fabulous make-ahead lunch for the week!!! Adding fresh dill to the shopping list now!! :)
Oh, great idea! And yes, the fresh dill really makes it pop. I hope you love it!
Divine! I was lazy and used 1/2 c of Herdez’ Guacamole Salsa (from Target) for the dressing. Added 2 cucumbers with 2 coined carrots because it’s what I had. Love the pepitas with dill especially.
I so appreciate that every time I make one of your recipes it actually turns out! Makes me keep coming back here for healthy recipes that I know I can trust. Made this one tonight and it’s delicious! Thanks :)
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! This makes me really happy to hear.
Fo sho,
Every time I make a recipe of yours it turns out.
Super delicious! I tried it at the weekend. Boiled eggs fit super to this dill-salad! Love it!!!
Happy it worked out, Vicky!
Made this with cilantro and some chopped sun dried tomatoes. Delish, thank you!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed, Jeff.
Absolutely LOVED this dish. Next time I’ll try apple cider vinegar (because we love it so). It was super easy and fast to make.
So happy you enjoyed it, Joselle!
Soooooo good! I added the kalamatas and feta, and I could eat this every day!
Yess! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Beth.
I love this – I halved the recipe as I didn’t want leftovers and now I’m sorry because I do want leftovers!
Oh no! Lessons learned. Glad you enjoyed it, Diana!
Ooh, sounds so good!
It tastes even better! Let me know how it turns out for you :)
Great recipe and thanks for the Cuisinart info!
You’re welcome! & yes – get that blade changed out ASAP.
this was perfect for our Aussie heatwave – it’s summer here and I was just about melting away until I had this for lunch! Substituted bean sprouts for celery and used a mix of balsamic and apple cider vinegar. Turned out lovely. Thanks Kate!
Awesome, Micha! This was a not-so-seasonal craving for me, but it’s great that it matched up well with AU summer :)
Hi Kate, looks fab to me! Planning to make it for my packed lunches next week. How long do you think this would last happily in the fridge? And would you recommend leaving any ingredients until the last minute?
Fin :)
My favorite salad to date from your blog! I just made half the people in my office block try it and they all loved it. I did swap out raddishes for the celery, just because I’m on a raddish kick. This recipe is definitely going into my recipe rotation. I love bean salads because they keep so well for lunches.
YES! I’m so happy the whole office enjoyed :) Thanks, Camille.
Hi Kate, First of all I love your blog and recepies. I have tried many and thye have all been fantastic (your kale pizza is my go to ). Thank you for all the yummy recepies! Made this for lunch and it was great. I put it in a pita pocket and then the next day had it over kale.
There’s so much in this comment that I love. I’m so glad this worked out for you, Angela!
I made this for lunch today. Super quick to whip up and it was so good! I added a squeeze of lemon juice. Will be making this often!
Awesome! So glad it’ll be a lunchtime staple for you :)
Just made vegan brownies with aquafaba and now I’m going to make this salad (it’s all about balance). Looks fab. :)
Let me know how it works out, Alison!
I loved the combination of ingredients in this salad–especially the fresh dill! I happened to have a garlic vinaigrette (Garlic Expressions) on hand, so I subbed it instead of making the vinaigrette (which I’m sure is also delicious). Can’t wait for your book!
Happy your version worked out, Michelle! I’m excited for you to see the book, too :)
hi there,
just came across your page today,great stuff…love the visuals as im a visual learner so that really helps me understand. Keep it up!
Hey, Tabitha-Great to have you here!
This is currently our favorite salad! I serve it with kale and it is delicious!
Sounds extra-green and delicious, Tina!
I just made this salad tonight and we loved it! (I served a deconstructed salad to my children). I definitely recommend using a food processor if you have one- this salad can be whipped up quickly. It is a nice change to my typical weeknight salad rotation.
Glad this could help break up the salad routine for you, Shauna! :)
Hi Kate
my son made this salad tonight and it is fantastic! so satisfying and full of flavour. Definitely a keeper.
thanks for all the amazing recipes!
Maggie
Awesome! Happy you both liked it, Maggie! Share my appreciation with your son.
Hi Kate. I am making some lifestyle changes in the way I eat and found your website while looking for wholesome vegetarian meals. I just made this dish today for lunch and it was lovely in both flavor and presentation. I especially appreciated the wonderful textures. The pepitas really to give it something extra special. Dinner is going to be your “Best Lentil Soup”. It’s on the stove right now and smells fabulous. Thank you for your delicious recipes!
You’re welcome, Rebekah! Happy to hear these are helping with your health changes. Let me know how the soup goes!
Made this tonight for lunch for the week. I’ve already eaten so much of it and don’t think it will even make it to Monday.
So good, Kate. Took your advice and added a little extra sherry vinegar.
I end up sneaking this one right out of the refrigerator… I understand the struggle. Happy it’s that tempting!
I made this twice already! The first time for my boyfriend, who is Iranian. He loved it… dill is a prominent herb in Persian cooking, he especially enjoyed this salad. I also made this (and your pear/date/walnut green salad) to an Argentine tango potluck…. everyone LOVED both fresh, unique salads; I shared the recipes with the group. Thank you again!
I’m so glad everyone loved it! The dill is the best part of this one, I think.