There’s no lettuce in this salad and you won’t miss it.
I absolutely adore pineapple, mango, and chickpeas and the salad was right up my alley. So much texture and flavor in every bite and it’s ready in 5 minutes.
It’s naturally vegan, gluten-free, almost fat-free, and I happily went to town on it.
It has a tropical vibe from the pineapple and mango, and pineapple salsa enhances that. Pico de gallo and cilantro add depth of flavor and a savory element that balances the sweet fruit.
I used frozen pineapple and mango, but fresh would be wonderful. I got my pico de gallo and pineapple salsa from Trader Joe’s. Because ingredients vary, add salt, pepper, and the exact amounts of pico de gallo and salsa to taste.
You can make the salad hotter with some cayenne if you’re inclined. Because the pineapple salsa I used is pretty mild and I’m a heat-seeker, I added a generous pinch of cayenne but it’s optional. Bell peppers (any color), black beans, corn, red onions, or avocado would work nicely if you have them on hand.
The flavors marry over time and it tastes even better the second day. It’s a great salad for when the weather warms up to bring to picnics or barbecues because there’s no mayo. It’s great as-is and also tastes awesome on top of tortilla chips.
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Tropical Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- one 14.5-ounce can chickpeas, garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (I used no-salt-added)
- ¾ cup mango, diced in small pieces (I used frozen)
- ¾ cup pineapple, diced in small pieces (I used frozen)
- ½ cup pico de gallo, found in the produce section, or to taste
- ½ cup pineapple salsa, or to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- tortilla chips or crackers, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine. Taste and check for flavor and seasoning balance. Make any necessary adjustments, i.e. more salt, pepper, salsa, pico de gallo, etc. and stir again. Serve immediately if desired or cover and chill before serving. Salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. I found the flavors married over time and the salad tasted even better the second day. Leftovers can be served chilled or at room temp. Salad is great as-is or with tortilla chips or crackers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great
Your site is the best distraction I’ve had today. So much deliciousness to save.
I’m glad I saved the pineapple salsa for this salad–it was great! I hadn’t thought of chickpeas with tropical fruit but the salsa and pico de gallo pulls it together perfectly. We’ll have the leftovers with jerk chicken tomorrow.
Glad you saved the salsa too! I agree – the pico with the salsa can pull together the tropical fruit and the chickpeas and make it all work. This will be amazing with jerk chicken I’m sure!
Loving all of the colors in this bowl! This is like a big bowl of happiness :)
hey girl this looks so yummy!
I always forget how much I like beans in everything. Totally trying them with salsa!
That TJ’s salsa is awesome!
Averie, this looks so good. I tried your soft and fluffy strawberry and banana cake last night. It was so good ;)
Glad it was a winner for you! I forgot about that cake :)
I love the flavors in this salad but I’ve never thought of combining them with chickpeas! I can see this making an easy lunch for my sandwich-hating daughter!!
I love ‘salads’ like this that aren’t lettuce but you get so many great textures and yes super easy to put into a little container and send in a lunchbox!
I NEED to try chickpeas with pineapple! This salad looks fantastic!
It’s such a great combo!
This looks fabulous. I could face dive into a plate of that salad.
I actually have a jar of Trader Joe’s pineapple salsa. I’ve been saving it for just the right recipe and I think I found it! Some jerk chicken done on the grill sounds good with this too.
Jerk chicken on the grill would be great with it! Get all those tropical Caribbean flavors going at once! How funny that you actually have a jar of the TJs pineapple salsa on hand!