Fall Harvest Apple Chickpea Salad (Printable Version)

A colorful autumn salad blending chickpeas, fresh apples, walnuts, and a honey-mustard dressing.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 medium apples, diced (Honeycrisp or Gala variety)
03 - 1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
04 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, add chickpeas, diced apples, walnuts, red onion, and parsley. Mix lightly to combine.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad components and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to enhance flavor melding.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, which means you can make it on a Tuesday night without ceremony.
  • The honey-mustard dressing tastes like fall captured in a jar, tangy and sweet at the same time.
  • It stays fresh in the fridge for hours, making it perfect for meal prep or bringing somewhere.
  • You feel genuinely good eating it, not guilty—chickpeas and apples are both actually nourishing.
02 -
  • If you make this more than an hour ahead, the apples will soften and the red onion will become less bright—which isn't bad, just different, like the difference between a salad and a side dish.
  • The dressing won't look perfectly emulsified like a vinaigrette from a restaurant, and it doesn't need to; it comes together on the salad itself as you toss.
03 -
  • Rinse your canned chickpeas thoroughly—the liquid they're packed in tastes tinny and makes the salad watery.
  • Make the dressing in a jar and shake it hard; the motion helps emulsify everything better than just whisking in a bowl.
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