Fall Harvest Apple Chickpea Salad (Printer-Friendly)

A colorful salad with chickpeas, apples, walnuts, and a honey-mustard dressing perfect for autumn.

# What You Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 medium apples, diced (e.g., Honeycrisp or Gala)
03 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (approx. 2 oz)
04 - 1/4 cup finely diced red onion (approx. 1 oz)
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
08 - 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, diced apples, walnuts, red onion, and parsley.
02 - Whisk olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
03 - Pour dressing over salad mixture and gently toss to coat evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours to enhance flavors.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Ready in 15 minutes with no cooking required, so it becomes your go-to when time is tight but you want something real.
  • The combination of creamy chickpeas and crisp apples creates this perfect textural contrast that keeps you coming back for another forkful.
  • It tastes even better the next day as the flavors settle, making it ideal for meal prep or bringing to potlucks.
02 -
  • Slice your apples as close to eating time as possible or toss them with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning, which looks sad and tastes slightly oxidized.
  • The dressing breaks if you just dump oil into vinegar and mustard—whisk it properly and it becomes this beautiful emulsion that clings to everything instead of pooling at the bottom.
03 -
  • Toast your walnuts in a dry pan for three minutes before chopping them if you want to deepen their flavor and make the salad taste more intentional and less thrown together.
  • Taste the dressing before pouring it on the salad because mustard and vinegar vary in intensity by brand, and you might want a touch more honey or a squeeze more acid depending on what you're tasting.
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