Fall Harvest Apple Chickpea Salad (Print Version)

Autumn salad with chickpeas, apples, walnuts, and a sweet-tangy honey-mustard dressing.

# Ingredient List:

→ Salad

01 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 medium apples, diced (e.g., Honeycrisp or Gala)
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

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, mix chickpeas, diced apples, walnuts, red onion, and parsley until evenly distributed.
02 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
03 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to fully coat ingredients.
04 - Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 hours to enhance flavor melding.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • Ready in 15 minutes flat, no cooking required—just chopping and tossing.
  • The chickpeas give you real staying power, keeping you satisfied through the afternoon.
  • That honey-mustard dressing is tangy enough to feel special but familiar enough to make on instinct.
02 -
  • Don't dice your apples more than 15 minutes before serving, or they'll brown no matter how much lemon juice you throw at them—which actually doesn't matter much here since the acidity in the dressing takes care of it anyway.
  • The dressing thickens slightly as it sits, which means if you make this ahead, you might need to loosen it with a splash more vinegar or oil before serving.
03 -
  • Chill your serving bowl before tossing if you're eating right away—it keeps everything crisp longer and makes the salad feel more intentional.
  • If your apples are mealy (sometimes they just are), use them anyway but add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the dressing for brightness.
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