Chickpeas might just be my favorite legume. I can always find them lurking in my cupboard, ready to be used in quick greek chopped salad lunch or to throw in a curry dish when I’m feeling like I want a little plant-based protein but don’t want to cook. Their creamy texture is one I find myself always coming back to. Anyone else a chickpea lover?!
I love bringing you delicious plant-based meals; not only because they’re better for us and the environment, but because they’re convenient and easy to throw together with minimal effort. College students and anyone who finds themselves busy and on the go — this recipe is for you!
Abra and I whipped these vegan pecan apple chickpea salad wraps about 4 years ago and absolutely loved the flavors and texture. It’s reminiscent of an apple tuna salad you had growing up, except there’s no tuna or mayo involved, making it vegan and gluten free.
And guess what? This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make. YASSSS.
Everything you’ll need to make these apple chickpea salad wraps
Get ready to fall in love with the flavors and textures in these vegan apple chickpea salad wraps. They’re the perfect combo of sweet and savory with a little crunch in every bite! Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Chickpeas: the star of the show in these wraps that pack plenty of plant-based protein.
- Apple: a little diced apple adds wonderful, juicy sweetness. I love Honeycrisp!
- Pecans: add some crunch with toasted, chopped pecans.
- Dried tart cherries: okay YUM I love the sweet & tart combo that dried tart cherries give the salad.
- Parsley, celery & green onion: for crisp bites of freshness.
- For the maple dijon dressing: we’re using a creamy, delicious dressing made with tahini, maple syrup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
- For the wraps: I like to use large spinach tortillas and add some fresh spinach & shredded carrots for extra color, texture and nutrition. Feel free to use any tortillas you’d like, including grain free ones!
Delicious ways to customize
Because these vegan chickpea salad wraps are filled with tons of fresh ingredients, they’re super easy to customize with what you have on hand. Here are some recommendations:
- Go nut free: you can absolutely use sunflower seeds instead of the pecans, or omit the nuts altogether.
- Try a new protein: if you’re not plant-based or vegetarian, feel free to sub the can of chickpeas for cooked, chopped or shredded chicken breast.
- Boost the veggies: as I mentioned, I love to round out the wraps with fresh spinach and shredded carrots. Shredded red cabbage would also be delicious!
- Swap your mix-ins: feel free to use dried cranberries, chopped dates or even raisins in place of the tart cherries. Cilantro is also a great sub for the parsley.
Easy vegan chickpea salad wraps in 4 simple steps
You’re 15 minutes away from your new favorite lunch!
- Combine the salad mix-ins. Start by mashing your drained chickpeas, then add them to a bowl with the diced apples, pecans, tart cherries, celery, parsley, and green onions.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and add warm water as-needed to get a nice pourable consistency.
- Mix the salad together. Add the maple dijon dressing to the chickpea salad and mix it well to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Wrap it up & enjoy! Finally, add your chickpea salad to 3 large spinach wraps, top with spinach and shredded carrot if you’d like, wrap them up and enjoy! See below for more delicious ways to enjoy the salad itself.
More ways to enjoy this apple chickpea salad
Out of large tortillas or looking for other ways to enjoy the salad itself? Here are some delicious ways to eat it:
- Serve the salad in a bowl as-is and enjoy as a wonderful side dish that’s perfect for parties.
- Add it to lettuce cups or large collard leaves for a low carb wrap option.
- Sandwich it between two slices of your favorite bread! My Grandma’s homemade seedy sandwich bread would be perfect.
Storing tips
Store any leftover apple chickpea salad or chickpea salad wraps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
More plant-based lunches you’ll love
Curried Chickpea Couscous Salad
Get all of our delicious vegan lunch recipes here!
I hope you love these vegan apple chickpea salad wraps! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan Pecan Apple Chickpea Salad Wraps
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup small diced organic honeycrisp apple (from about 1 small to medium honeycrisp apple)
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped raw or toasted pecans*
- ⅓ cup dried tart cherries
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (or sub cilantro)
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons tahini (I like Soom Foods)
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or use honey if not vegan)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing
- For the wraps:
- 3 large spinach tortillas (or tortillas of choice)*
- 3-4 cups organic spinach
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
Instructions
- Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a large bowl and use a masher or fork to mash most of the chickpeas. Add in diced apples, chopped pecans, tart cherries, celery, parsley and green onions.
- In a separate bowl, make the dressing: Add tahini, honey, dijon, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper and warm water. Mix to combine until a creamy dressing forms. Add more water if necessary. I found that somewhere between 2-3 tablespoons was perfect.
- Add dressing to the chickpea salad. Stir to combine and coat all the ingredients with dressing. Taste and adjust as necessary. You may want to add more salt and/or pepper.
- Lay out spinach wraps and add about 1 cup of spinach, top with ¼ cup shredded carrots. Top with ⅓ of the chickpea salad mixture. Tightly roll up the wrap, tucking in the ends as you go. Secure tightly with a toothpick if necessary. Makes 3 large wraps! You can also eat the salad as is or put in lettuce wraps or swiss chard. Salad will stay good for 5 days in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on February 14, 2019, republished on August 26, 2021, and republished on September 5th, 2024.
so easy so deliicious even if your not vegan very satisfying
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Honestly taken aback by how much I loved this. I got this recipe from the 7-day meal plan when signing up for emails. I’m a HUGE lover of chicken salad, and this hit all the sweet spots (crunchy, creamy, savory, and sweet) of a typical chicken salad wrap without the usual heaviness from all the mayo and meat. Definitely will be meal prepping this often for work lunches!
These vegan pecan apple chickpea salad wraps sound absolutely delightful! I love how you have combined the creamy texture of chickpeas with the sweetness of apples and tart cherries, creating a perfect balance of flavors. It is impressive that such a nutritious and tasty meal can be whipped up in just 15 minutes without any cooking. The versatility of this recipe is fantastic. Whether enjoyed in a wrap, on toast, or in lettuce cups, it is sure to please anyone looking for a quick and healthy lunch option.
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This is so delicious, the sauce is out of this world you can put it on anything
Hi! I wanted to make this recipe as it is different from the buffalo wrap. I made some changes because of what I had in the kitchen. It was good. I think I like the buffalo better because of the heat it brings but this is nice too. I tried a little semi-home made and used Ken’s Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing which might make the difference. Next time I make this I will try the right dressing per requested by the recipe. It is still a mouthful of goodness and health and that make me smile inside out.
Thank you for all you do.
Kind regards!!
This one’s great for customizing! Glad you enjoyed. You’ll have to try these buffalo wraps next 🙂
Perfect every single time I make it! So quick and makes a good prep-ahead lunch. I like it in tortillas, wrapped in giant kale leaves, or just alone as salad!
Absolutely! So happy it’s a fav!
Really enjoyed this recipe. Feels super healthy, is very delicious, and will be something I add to my regular lunch rotation now! Thanks for this great recipe!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
Made this for a meal prep lunch. I liked how easy it was to assemble! The chickpeas needs just a tad more texture and flavor. We may have over mushed the chickpeas – it was a little globby and flavorless for my taste. I think I will try remaking this and maybe roasting the chickpeas in the oven first with some powdered garlic, peprika, and s/p.
Thanks for your feedback, Rachel. Let me know how it turns out with roasted chickpeas. I would definitely double check the amount of seasonings you added because this shouldn’t have been bland!
This recipe is delish! Like a meatless and mayo-less chicken salad. Me and my kids really enjoyed this!
Yay! I am excited to hear this recipe is a hit, thanks so much for giving it a try ❤️
Such a delicious and healthy lunch option. Everyone in the family loved it! Highly recommend!!
Absolutely! So glad it was a hit 🙂
I followed the recipe pretty closely, but used craisins and purple onion as I had them on hand. Once I had everything put together – sauce into stuff and stirred – I tasted the mix. WOW! I almost face-planted into the bowl. Dang this is good stuff! I do have a couple of photos but don’t see how to include them for you. I bragged about you on Facebook and gave them your website so they could find some good stuff too. THANKS SO MUCH for sharing these recipes!
Absolutely! So glad you found this recipe and that you are loving it. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Tatstes great, love the dressing! I used 8-inch wraps and so far its made 3 wraps with definitely half still left over, easy would feed three people, two wraps each for lunch or be lunch for three days.
Perfect! Such a great meal prep lunch.
I’m trying to have more meat-free meals and this looks fabulous.
Another fantastic recipe Monique!
I left out the celery and used dried parsley- other than that I made it exactly as stated and it was delicious! It was super easy to make, too. I think next time I’ll add cabbage like others have suggested for some extra crunch since I’m skipping the celery. I’ll also make extra dressing and use more on each wrap because it’s SO GOOD!
Thanks again for another winning recipe that will absolutely become part of our regular rotation- like so many others I’ve found here. You are definitely my go to when I’m looking for something new- your recipes are always winners!
I’m happy you enjoyed them, Lori! Can’t wait for you to make them again. And glad you’re here and loving the recipes — that means so much! ❤️
Had this on it’s own without wraps and it was absolutely amazing! Tasted just like chicken salad except without the chicken. The flavors worked so well together!! Great recipe and will definitely be making over and over again!
Hi what is a good sub for tahini? Seems like peanut butter would taste weird with peanut butter but we don’t care for tahini.
oops I meant with *mustard. Would cashew butter work?
Yes cashew butter would be PERFECT! Enjoy!
I’ve made this salad for 3 weeks straight now! It’s so good and easy for quick lunches. Unfortunately, my husband discovered it in the fridge last week and now I have to share!!
I love this recipe – I sub in olive oil for the dressing as that is what I have + I just serve the salad on two slices of toast. It is so good.
So simple to make, one of my current favorites.
Yummm love the idea of serving it on toast! So glad you’re a fan 🙂
This was pretty simple to make, and SO delicious! I didn’t have tart cherries or spinach tortillas on hand, so I instead used raisins and lettuce to make little lettuce cups. Amazing! That dressing really brings all the ingredients to the next level, and I enjoyed the crunchy contrast of the nuts and celery against the mashed chickpeas. I’ll definitely make this again!
I made this just as the recipe states although I used cilantro instead of parsley. It’s super tasty and easy to make. I do think next time I will use parsley. I think that would be better. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m happy you enjoyed these! Yes either cilantro or parsley would be great 🙂
I love this!! Let me tell you, I did not like chickpeas before, and I have been trying to eat them more. This will be one of my go-to recipes!
I did not have dried tart cherries so swapped with dried cranberries. I also used rice vinegar I had in my pantry – still sooo good!
Oh yay!! So glad you’re loving chickpeas in this recipe! Thanks for the review 🙂
very nice recipe
This recipe was unreal – so flavorful and an easy thing to make ahead for the week. I kept finding myself going back to the fridge for more!
I’m happy you’re loving these, Maggie! Such a great meal prep lunch 🙂
I made this for lunch and it was absolutely delicious!! I couldn’t find tart cherries so I used some dried apricots and they turned out to be maybe the best part! Perfect with a little garlic salt as well. Thanks!
I loved this receipe!!! I made it so I could bring wraps to work. 10/10! I used craisins instead of cherries and it was delicious. I was skeptical after making the sauce, but it turned out amazing! I used a large honeycrisp apple and two stalks of celery and it was perfect. My partner also loves it and he can be picky.
Oh I’m so glad you guys both enjoyed these! Thanks for the review, Liz 🙂
Very good play on chicken salad! Great no bake/cook meal!
I’ve eaten this for lunch every day this week and it is soooo good! A great way to load up on veggies but it also keeps me full and satisfied.
Awesome!! SO happy you love this recipe, Madison!
LOVE this recipe! Made it for the first time last weekend and this weekend made a double batch. 🙂 used a little dried parsley because I have it on hand and added some purple cabbage for crunch. It’s filling and delicious!!
Forgot to rate!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you guys loved them 🙂 Great idea on the cabbage!
I used cranberries instead of cherries, and cabbage/broccoli slaw instead of spinach and it was DELICIOUS! So easy too.
Those are awesome swaps! So happy to hear you loved them!
This salad is delicious and the dressing is exceptional. Will undoubtedly make again.
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Kayla 🙂
This was soo good. My husbands new favorite lunch! It’s a great vegan take on chicken salad. I did take the time to toast the pecans and I think gives it a deeper flavor. I added some cashew crema to the dressing to make it creamier. Also some smashed avocado to the wrap. Will be making these again soon. Thank you for the recipe!
These look delicious! Do you think I could freeze them? I’m not quite sure and wanted your opinion. Thanks!
Hi Cristina! Sorry to say I wouldn’t recommend freezing these since they have lots of raw ingredients that wouldn’t defrost very well.
Delicious! Wasn’t sure if this would turn out – I’m usually a meat kinda girl – but it was delicious! Can’t wait to eat the rest 🙂
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed them!
This recipe was super delicious!! I didn’t do any modifications to this since it all sounded amazing. I wasn’t sure what the combination of chickpeas and apples, but it blew me away! I highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking for an easy and nutritious lunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
I just made this for lunch and it was delicious! It is surprising how much it tastes like a majo based chicken salad! I made it as a wrap and my daughter ate it over salad greens. My only suggestion is to make extra dressing if you want it over a salad. This is a keeper for us as we are trying to eat healthier. Thank you for sharing all your great recipes!
Absolutely! And yes feel free to double that dressing if you’d like 🙂
This was delicious & nutritious! I loved all the ingredients in this recipe. And I had all the ingredients already in my kitchen. Second time around though, I skipped the tortilla wrap to save on calories. Us women in our 50’s have a much slower metabolism!
This one’s great for customizing! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Yum! So easy to make and light without giving you that afternoon slumpy. I didn’t have any cherries so subbed raisins instead. Also added a tbsp or so of curry powder because thats how my mom used to prepare a similar dish. I may have not added enough water so I did a glob of veggie Mayo. Hubs thought it was great and asked for a second.
Perfect lunch! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Delicious! Skipped the cherries. Still super flavorful!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
So good! Such a good make ahead salad, then just wrap fresh for lunch.