There are so many lovely flavors and textures going on in this Easy Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad in 30 Minutes. Al dente pasta, sweet yellow bell peppers, refreshingly crisp celery, red onions, fresh dill, lemon and chickpeas are gently tossed in a bright, creamy dressing.
This toothsome salad is a lovely addition to any casual meal – game day tailgates or homegates, picnics, backyard barbecues and gatherings.
Jump to RecipeA perfect side to welcome spring
At the time of this post we are in the thick of winter here in Michigan, with another couple months to endure before warmer weather returns. By February, I am ready to shed the winter coat, gloves and boots and pick up again with outdoor living.
In my mind, nothing signals the end of winter and welcomes warmer weather like the smell of someone grilling. And once spring takes hold of the mitten state, it’s like someone flipped a switch in my neighborhood. I swear everyone has something amazing on the grill nonstop from Friday to Sunday. You can’t take a walk around the block without rethinking your dinner at least a half dozen times.
At our house, after a long day of spring yard work you’ll find us grilling as well. That first meal is usually a simple one – consisting of burgers with my Best 3-Ingredient Olive Sauce and this recipe for Easy Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad in 30 Minutes. Corn or some other veggies roasted over hot coals and cool, fresh fruit usually round out the meal. It’s nothing difficult. Just really simple and satisfying food.
And that’s exactly what this creamy chickpea pasta salad is. Nothing fancy or trendy. Just simple, good food with fresh herbs and veggies, lemon zest and a little salt and pepper.
The mighty chickpea adds a protein boost to this easy pasta salad recipe
I love hummus, but there are so many other ways to enjoy chickpeas. Packed with nutrients, protein and fiber, they are a great addition to your diet. In this easy pasta salad recipe, they provide added protein and their firm, toothy texture is a nice compliment to the other crisp vegetables as well.
A Healthline.com article titled, 10 Science-Backed Benefits of Chickpeas, highlights the health benefits of this lovely legume. Chickpeas have been found to support brain health and aid in weight management. They are also credited with helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels as well as reducing risk for diabetes, cancer and heart disease. With so many great attributes, I say, bring on the chickpeas, please!
Prep and dressing tips and tricks
Believe it or not, for as much as I love to cook I don’t like to spend any more time in the kitchen than is absolutely necessary. I like to use time to my advantage. For example, while the pasta water is coming the boil, I will use that time to clean and cut the vegetables, set up the strainer for the cooked pasta and measure out the other ingredients. While the pasta is cooking, I’ll often start cleaning up the kitchen so I’m not having to do it all at once at the end. These little time savers streamline the prep process and contribute to a more enjoyable kitchen experience overall.
When it comes to recipe development, I like to make it easy for people to exercise more control over the amount of sauce or dressing that goes into a dish whenever possible. I have found that the amount of mayo on a sandwich, dressing on a salad or sauce on the side can quickly devolve into a polarizing discussion around the table. Raise your hand if you’ve ever re-evaluated friendships based on whether or not they consider ketchup an appropriate condiment for a hot dog? Be honest.
How creamy you like your pasta salad falls into a similar category. In this easy pasta salad recipe, I give the option to reduce the amount of dressing used. If you like a creamier pasta salad, use 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup sour cream as the base. However, if you prefer a drier salad, you can reduce both the mayonnaise and sour cream to 1/3 cup each.
This Easy Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad in 30 Minutes can be prepared in advance, making it a great take-along dish to pass at a gathering. As with any pasta salad, the pasta will continue to absorb the moisture from the dressing the longer it sits – giving it a drier texture.
That said, when I’m making this creamy chickpea pasta salad recipe at home, I will often reserve a little of the mayonnaise and sour cream and mix it in right before serving. This technique is another way to boost the creamy texture of the salad without adding more dressing.
The Dijon mustard provides depth to an otherwise simple dressing. For this reason, I recommend leaving the amount of Dijon mustard at 1 Tablespoon whether you decide to use the full 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and sour cream or choose to reduce both to 1/3 cup. No matter how you choose to dress this creamy chickpea pasta salad, it will be delicious.
Easy Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad in 30 Minutes
Course: SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes10
minutesAl Dente pasta, sweet yellow bell peppers, crisp celery, red onions, fresh dill, lemon and chickpeas gently tossed in a creamy dressing.
Ingredients
2 cups bowtie, shell or orecchiette pasta (shown) – cooked, drained and cooled.
One 12-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise. See notes section below.
1/2 cup sour cream. See notes section below.
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste, approx. 1/2 Tbsp. of juice.
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- While the pasta is cooking, prep the vegetables and other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine, the cooled, drained pasta, celery, onion, bell pepper, chick peas, salt, dill and lemon zest. Toss gently to combine.
- Add half of the cream mixture and 1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard. Stir to incorporate. Add the remaining cream mixture to taste.
- Season to taste with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and additional salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate and serve.
Notes
- Can I reduce the amount of mayo and sour cream? What about the mustard? If you like a creamier pasta salad, use 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup sour cream as the base. However, if you prefer a drier salad, you can reduce both the mayonnaise and sour cream to 1/3 cup each. The Dijon mustard provides depth to an otherwise simple dressing. For this reason, I recommend leaving the amount of Dijon mustard at 1 Tablespoon.
