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Home Meal Prep Vegetarian Meal Prep
4.88
/5
25 minutes minutes

Chickpea Salad Bento Box (Vegan)

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free Vegan Vegan Vegetarian Vegetarian Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard11 Comments
Posted: 7/23/18 Updated: 9/3/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Chickpea salad bento box is a vegan no cook lunch option that can be ready in under 25 minutes! 

overhead view of the Chickpea Salad Bento Box with flatbread, vegetables and grapes

Looking for a healthy lunch but don't want to actually cook? Then you are going to love today's recipe!

These bento boxes require zero cooking...that means no oven, no stove, nothing. All you need to do is open a can, chop some stuff, and mix some things up in a bowl.

Total prep time? 25 minutes, and really, that's for you slow choppers. If you're fast, I bet you could have these ready in under 15 minutes!

This chickpea salad bento box

  • is vegan
  • requires no cooking
  • can be prepped and assembled in under 25 minutes
  • makes 4 lunches for the week

ingredients for the vegan chickpea salad in a bowl

ingredients for the vegan chickpea salad in a bowl after mixing

How to make chickpea salad

Chickpea salad is a vegan alternative to chicken salad. Instead of using chicken, we use chickpeas, which we mash up with similar ingredients.

  1. mash the chickpeas with a spatula or potato masher
  2. combine with the vegenaise, onion, celery, dill, salt and pepper
  3. serve on a sandwich, with vegetable sticks, or on flatbread

overhead view of the Chickpea Salad Bento Box with flatbread, vegetables and grapes

Tell me more about that glass bento box!

I have been absolutely loving my 3-compartment glass containers lately and they are absolutely perfect for these bento boxes.

Thanks to the compartments, we can keep our chickpea salad separate from the naan bread and the veggies, preventing the bread from getting soggy and the carrots from getting soft.

These three compartment glass storage containers are from Prep Naturals (you can find them here –> affiliate link). I love that they are glass because it means my food stays fresher and I don’t need to worry about chemicals. The downside is that they are heavier to be taking in your bag to work, and they are harder to fit in the dishwasher.

If you are looking for a good quality plastic alternative, I also own/love these EasyLunchBoxes 3-Compartment Containers.

overhead view of the Chickpea Salad Bento Box with flatbread, vegetables and grapes

Looking for more no cook lunch ideas?

  • Spring Strawberry Bento Lunch Boxes,
  • Easy Bistro Boxes 3 Ways,
  • No Cook Taco Salad Bento Boxes,
  • Vegan Snack Bento Box
  • Tuna Protein Box
  • English Muffin Breakfast Box

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

overhead shot of glass meal prep container with chickpea salad bento box

Chickpea Salad Bento Box (Vegan)

4.88 from 8 votes
Prep Time: 25 minutes mins
Total Time: 25 minutes mins
Print Rate
Chickpea salad bento box is a vegan no cook lunch option that can be ready in under 25 minutes! 
4

Ingredients

Chickpea Salad

  • 19 oz can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 ribs celery (finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)

Bento Boxes

  • 2 cups grapes
  • 4 carrots
  • 4 celery sticks
  • 4 flatbreads (naan, crackers or rice cakes all work)

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas with a spatula or potato masher.
  • Stir in the mayonnaise/vegan mayonnaise, dill, salt, pepper, celery and red onion until completely combined.
  • Divide between 4 bento-style lunch containers.
  • Divide up the grapes, vegetables, and flatbread between the containers.

To store

  • Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To serve

  • No re-heating necessary; serve cold. You may wish to pop the bread in the toaster on days ¾.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1box, Calories: 508kcal, Carbohydrates: 82g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 504mg, Potassium: 969mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 10560IU, Vitamin C: 10.4mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 5.8mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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4.88 from 8 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Rebecca says

    Posted on 4/20/23 at Posted on 4/20/23

    4 stars
    I got some strange looks from my husband making this last night. I used a light mayo and that may be the reason for the 4/5 instead of the 5/5 (I'll update when I try this again). I really enjoyed this as a salad on top of crackers as part of my lunch. I am wondering have you tried any variations of this with say toasted pecans or dried cranberries in it? I love those in my chicken salad and wonder how they would taste in this. I love how easy this came together and I had everything on hand. I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
  2. Paula says

    Posted on 11/1/21 at Posted on 11/1/21

    Hi, This looks delicious and easy too! But I don't eat mayo or vegan mayo - what could I substitute? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 11/1/21 at Posted on 11/1/21

      Hi Paula, Great question! You could likely substitute mayo for mashed avocado, or plain vegan yogurt. We have not tested this recipe with either of these options, but I think it should turn out ok if either of those are agreeable for you! Please be sure to come back and let us know how it turns out if you do try it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Denise Gonzalez says

    Posted on 7/6/21 at Posted on 7/6/21

    5 stars
    Oh my gosh the salad is delicious!Thank you so much. Surprising I got so full. Going into the lunch rotation for sure. Just started the emails and the tips are making the prepping possible. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 7/6/21 at Posted on 7/6/21

      Hi Denise, we're so glad you enjoyed this recipe, as well as the Meal Prep Quick Start Guide emails! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!

      Reply
  4. Maggie says

    Posted on 1/26/21 at Posted on 1/26/21

    Hi there, I just tried this recipe, and it's simple and delicious! Perfect for meal prepping as a busy college student-athlete. One question though, is the nutrition information just for the chickpea salad itself, or is it including the other parts of the bento boy (carrots, celery, grapes, etc.)?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/27/21 at Posted on 1/27/21

      Hi Maggie! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. The nutritional information is for the full box, so grapes and everything.

      Reply
  5. Barb Desautels says

    Posted on 8/6/19 at Posted on 8/6/19

    Hi Denise,
    I also live in Calgary and have been enjoying your recipes. I eat vegan and my daughter eats Vegetarian so I am always looking for a change from the usual.

    Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 8/20/19 at Posted on 8/20/19

      Hi Barb! Sorry for my late reply (holidays!) So nice to meet a fellow Calgarian. I am so happy you've enjoyed the recipes! Let me know if you have any questions!

      Reply
  6. Erica says

    Posted on 7/22/19 at Posted on 7/22/19

    What a great idea! I work from home, so I don't need to pack a lunch. I'm still going to try this chickpea salad, though. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 7/22/19 at Posted on 7/22/19

      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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