Fall Harvest Apple Chickpea Salad (Printable)

Autumn-inspired salad featuring chickpeas, apples, walnuts, and a sweet-tangy dressing for a fresh, wholesome dish.

# What you'll need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 medium apples, diced (e.g., Honeycrisp or Gala)
03 - ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
04 - ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
05 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

→ Dressing

06 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
08 - 1½ tablespoons honey
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - ¼ teaspoon salt
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# How to make it:

01 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, diced apples, walnuts, red onion, and parsley.
02 - Whisk together 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 and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours for flavors to meld.

# Expert suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking, making it perfect for busy days when you still want something wholesome.
  • The honey-mustard dressing is addictive and tastes like it took way more effort than it actually did.
  • You can make it ahead and the flavors actually get better as they sit together, unlike delicate salads that wilt.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the chickpeas, your dressing will break and separate—I learned this the messy way.
  • Don't dice your apples until right before serving unless you're eating immediately, or they'll oxidize and turn brown despite your best intentions.
  • This salad is best eaten within 2 hours of dressing, or the apples start to soften and the texture goes from snappy to sad.
03 -
  • If your dressing breaks or looks separated, add a teaspoon of water and whisk hard—sometimes it just needs a little coaxing to come back together.
  • Toast your walnuts in a dry skillet for 3 minutes before chopping them if you want a deeper, more complex flavor that makes people ask what's different.
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