Fall Harvest Apple Chickpea Salad (Printable)

Autumn blend of chickpeas, apples, walnuts, and honey-mustard dressing for a nutritious and flavorful 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 - 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

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas, diced apples, walnuts, red onion, and parsley until evenly distributed.
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 ingredients and gently toss to coat thoroughly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to enhance flavors.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 15 minutes, making weeknight lunches feel intentional instead of rushed.
  • The combination of textures—creamy, crisp, crunchy—makes every bite interesting enough that you actually slow down to taste it.
  • It's forgiving enough for beginners but interesting enough that you'll keep coming back to tweak it seasonally.
02 -
  • Dice your apples just before serving; they oxidize faster than you'd expect, turning soft and brownish if prepped too early.
  • The dressing is thick by design—if it looks too oily, you likely didn't whisk long enough for the mustard to do its emulsifying magic.
03 -
  • Room-temperature ingredients dress better and taste more developed than cold ones pulled straight from the fridge.
  • The mustard-to-oil ratio feels rich, but it's precisely what prevents the salad from tasting like you drowned it—resist the urge to add more oil.
Go Back