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This Mango Chickpea Salad is a juicy, flavor-packed dish inspired by Indian street food! Loaded with chickpeas, mango, and crunchy veggies. Vegan + Gluten-Free.
As the weather warms up I’m reaching for light and refreshing (but still filling!) salads to keep me satisfied until dinner. This Mango Chickpea Salad is the perfect wholesome salad to do the trick! Protein and fiber-rich chickpeas, juicy mango, crunchy bell peppers, and refreshing cucumbers combine for the ultimate flavor and texture combination. But it’s the sweet and tangy spice-infused dressing that takes this crunchy, creamy salad from tasty to absolutely delicious
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
This recipe is heavily inspired by Indian cuisine; It’s most similar to chana chaat, an Indian street food made from cooked chickpeas mixed with fresh vegetables and various chutneys. It also uses the Indian cooking technique of making a ‘tadka’ or ‘tarka,’ a spice-infused oil that’s added at the end of cooking to saturate the dish in flavor. For this Mango Chickpea Salad, we’ll be making a flavorsome tadka with crunchy, toasted coriander, cumin, and fennel that takes this dish to a whole new level!
I highly recommend using whole spices vs. ground for this recipe, as they add much more flavor to the dish and a fun crunchy bite! You can find whole spices in the spice aisle of most grocery stores, right next to their ground counterparts. A little goes a long way too, so the investment will last you a good while.
HOW TO MAKE MANGO CHICKPEA SALAD
Ready in less than 20 minutes, this Mango Chickpea Salad is perfect for any time you’re looking for a quick and easy lunch that’s hearty and satiating enough to keep you full through the day. Plus, it keeps well in the fridge, making it perfect for meal prep!
- Place the turmeric and garlic in a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté the cumin, coriander, and fennel in oil until fragrant. Pour the hot oil onto the bowl with the turmeric and garlic. Set aside to cool.
- Transfer the cooled oil to a jar, add fresh lime juice, maple syrup, tamarind concentrate, and salt, and shake until emulsified.
- Combine the chickpeas, mango, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, and cilantro in a bowl then pour the dressing over top and toss.
- Enjoy immediately or chill in the fridge before serving.
I love this Indian-inspired salad because it’s light and refreshing while still being wholesome and full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The bright, citrusy flavors are so delicious that after just one bite you’ll see why I’ve been so addicted to this dish lately!
I like to enjoy this salad its own, but it is also great with warm naan bread and a bit of plain, dairy-free yogurt (or even in a wrap?!) If you’re in the mood for a bigger meal, bulk this dish up by serving it alongside some creamy gold potatoes or a bed of fluffy quinoa or basmati rice. You can also make this recipe as a side dish to pair with any of your favorite Indian-inspired mains like my Dairy-Free Palak “Paneer.” This Mango Chickpea Salad is best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
COOKING TIPS + FAQ:
- Warm the Oil Properly: The oil should be slightly shimmery once it’s warm enough to add the spices, but you can test it by wetting the end of a chopstick and placing it in the oil – bubbles should form around the chopstick and it should sizzle slightly. Also, make the tadka first since it will be very hot, then while you wait for it to cool, you can be chopping up all of your veggies 😊
- What Type of Mango Should I Use? I LOVE champagne mangoes for this recipe, but when I was testing this for the blog, my local grocery store didn’t have any available, so I used a Tommy Atkins mango and the dish still came out fantastic. So I guess you really can’t go wrong as long as its ripe!
- Use Whole Spices! I highly recommend using whole seeds for your spice blend, rather than pre-ground. Whole seeds pack a much bigger punch of flavor and make this dish taste more true to the Indian street food it’s inspired by.
If you’re looking for more Indian-inspired recipes, you’ll love these Chana Kathi Rolls, this Creamy Coconut & Red Lentil Curry, and this Instant Pot Dal Tadka (Spiced Lentils)!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
PrintThe Absolute Best Mango Chickpea Salad
This Mango Chickpea Salad is a juicy, flavor-packed dish inspired by Indian street food! Loaded with chickpeas, mango, and crunchy veggies. Vegan + Gluten-Free.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 3 Minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral, high-heat oil (I used avocado)
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Salad:
- 3 cups (500 g) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned
- 1 large mango*, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 english cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1/4 red onion, small dice
- 1 serrano pepper, small dice (optional; remove seeds for less spice)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Make the Tarka: Place the turmeric and garlic in a small ceramic bowl and set aside. Warm a small sauté pan over medium high heat, then add the oil. Once warm and shimmering, add the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds and toast for 60 to 90 seconds, until fragrant and deeply golden. Pour the hot oil into the bowl with turmeric and garlic (note: it will bubble and splatter slightly), then set aside to let cool. *I like to make this first, then chop the veggies while it cools.
- Make the Vinaigrette: Once the oil has cooled, carefully it transfer it to a glass jar and add the lime juice, maple syrup, tamarind concentrate, and salt. Seal the jar and shake vigorously, until emulsified.
- Combine: Add the chickpeas to a large bowl along with the mango, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss to combine; season with additional salt to taste, if necessary.
- Serve: serve immediately, or store in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to chill before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Tamarind Concentrate: you can find tamarind concentrate at your local Indian or Asian food store, some grocery stores, or online. If you can’t find it, simply replace it with an extra 2 teaspoons of lime juice!
- Mangoes: I used 1 large tommy atkins mango for this recipe, but you could also use 2 smaller champagne or ataulfo mangoes instead! I actually prefer the latter because they are less fibrous, but my grocery store wasn’t carrying them when I made this recipe.
- Whole Seed vs. Ground Spices: whole seeds have a much more full and complex flavor than ground spices, so I strongly recommend using them! For a milder flavor, you can skip warming the oil and simply combine the oil with 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and ground coriander
Keywords: vegan chickpea salad, chickpea mango salad, vegan chana chaat
OmG this salad is delicious! Added more veg (red cabbage, mint, broccoli tops) as I wanted to stretch it for some lunches this week. Served it with avocado, pumpkin seeds and pistachio nuts and my hubby and I loved it! Many thanks for something new in my recipe rotation
★★★★★
Glad you loved it, Deborah!
This recipe is delicious and creative. I did make it without oil and it is still fabulous. I doubled the lime juice in addition to the tamarind.
★★★★★
What a fantastic recipe. Love the Indian fusion flavors. Will make again and again!
★★★★★
Thank you! Glad you liked it!, Aiswarya
This is a pretty amazing salad. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and super crunchy and refreshing. I made it for a family get-together and it was a big hit! Thanks for the recipe <3
★★★★★
Glad you liked it, Alexandra!
This recipe is both delicious and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing it. Can’t wait to make it again to serve to company. Really love that whole -seed dressing!!
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious! Flavour was wonderful! No leftovers. Used coriander pods and cumin seeds and ground them with a mortar and pestle. I let the chickpeas sit in the dressing while chopping the remaining ingredients. They picked up the flavour nicely. I didn’t have Tamirand or hot chilis but added more lime juice and dried red chili spice. I will make this recipe again.
glad you found it delicious, Elaine!
A little time consuming but oh my, definitely worth it. I added two teaspoons of Chana masala in with the turmeric and garlic, the flavors change as you eat it. So good!!
★★★★★
This is definitely worth the prep time! Thank you, Rosie. ♥
Exceptional salad that changes its flavours while eating it . Eating it is an experience
★★★★★
Glad you like it, Julie!
So flavourful! Loved it!
★★★★★
Delightful, fresh and summery, make sure you get some nice juicy mangoes. My tamarind paste is extremely sour so I tripled the maple syrup to balance it out.
Thanks, Emily!
Not to be dramatic, but this dressing is life changing. The first time I made it without whole coriander, but I made it again as directed and HOLY SMOKES. Just a flavour explosion. Thank you !!
★★★★★
Glad you loved it, Courtney!
This is an absolutely 10/10 recipe- perfect sweet and savory balance. Make it!!!
★★★★★
Love this recipe! Unfortunately I couldn’t find all the whole seeds and had to use some of the spices grounded. But next time I will definitely do it exactly like you did. I have a feeling this is going to be my favorite salad this summer 🙂
★★★★★
Made this for my family tonight and we finished it all! The flavors are so delicious and the ingredients are so nourishing. I made charred fresh corn with curry powder to accompany it and the two taste great mixed together. Already planning on making it again. 🙂
★★★★★
We’re happy you and your family loved it, Ilana!
Wow, am I really posting the first comment on this recipe’s page? I just made this salad for dinner, and it was SO flavourful! My boyfriend couldn’t get over how good that Tarka vinaigrette was! We used ataulfo mangoes and all the whole spices, and it was perfect.
I feel like it would also make a delicious wrap filling or rice noodles topping. Anyways, thank you so much for your incredible recipes, this salad will definitely be repeated this summer 🙂
★★★★★
Yay! Thank you and we’re so happy you loved it!
I loved this!! You dont have add that much oil to successfully temper the spices so still pick this recipe to make even if you’re scared of the oil!
This recipe is definitely added to the rotation! Love your content. Still make your OG tofu and hummus, they have never lost their spot on the rotation!
★★★★★
Also, I prefer to use a combination of powder and seeds!