Mango Chickpea Salad (oil-free option)

This hearty bean salad features chickpeas, sweet mango, fresh veggies, and sweet roasted corn in a cumin lime toasted chili oil dressing. Mango chickpea salad is a perfect, one-bowl summer lunch! (gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, oil-free option)

I wanted to make a quick salad that was hearty and not very salad-like. That means not too many leafy greens, because my niece doesn’t like to eat those, but she loves chickpeas. That worked out really well because we added some lime, cumin, and cayenne to give it that Indian chaat-style flavor profile.

This salad is perfect for making the most of ripe, summer mangos and fresh corn on the cob.

It turned out magnificent as is, and then we leveled it up by toasting some red pepper flakes in oil, creating a spiced oil that brought everything together. If you want to make it oil-free, just omit the oil and add the red pepper flakes directly, but the oil definitely adds a nice, smoky, spicy flavor to the salad.

There are three types of heat in this salad: 

1. green chilies
2. cayenne
3. red pepper flakes.

You can adjust the heat by using milder green chilies and reducing the amount of cayenne and red pepper flakes to your preference.

Serve this mango chickpea salad with pita chips, Indian papri/crackers or toasted pita bread for dipping.

Why You’ll Love Mango Chickpea Salad

• easy, 1-bowl salad
• sweet mango, earthy chickpeas, fresh veggies, and sweet, roasted corn
• delicious cumin-lime dressing and red pepper spice oil bring out the flavors
• quick and easy summer lunch
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
• easy oil-free option

Ingredients

• chickpeas – Use canned or homemade chickpeas or beans of choice, like white beans, black beans, or lentils
• veggies – Corn (frozen or on the cob), bell pepper, tomato, and onion give the salad so much flavor and CRUNCH!
• mangoes – Sweet mangoes pair up so well with all of the veggies and spices in this salad!
• green chilis – Use hot chilis, like Serrano or Indian chilis.
• cilantro – Adds zesty, fresh flavor.
• dry spices – For the dressing, you’ll need cumin, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
• lime juice – Adds acidity and flavor.
• spiced oil – Toasting red pepper flakes in hot oil adds a rich, smoky heat to the salad. For oil-free, just add the pepper flakes to the salad directly instead of roasting in the oil.

How to Make Mango Chickpea Salad

Prep all the veggies if you haven’t already. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Chop up the bell pepper, tomato, red onion, mango, green chili, and cilantro. If the corn still has the husk, shuck it.

To cook the corn, place the cobs directly on a medium-high gas flame on your stove. Use tongs to turn the corn every minute or so until it begins to blacken. Once it starts getting nicely charred, start flipping it every 10 to 15 seconds until most of the kernels have black spots.

Let the corn cool for a few minutes, then use a knife to remove the kernels from the cob. If you’re using frozen corn, toast it in a skillet over medium-high heat until you start to see golden brown spots, about 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To make the dressing, mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Don’t add the lime juice yet. We will do that later.

For the spiced oil, heat a small skillet over medium-low heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to low, add the pepper flakes, stir, and turn off the heat. The pepper flakes will toast in the hot oil and infuse it with heat and a smoky flavor.

When ready to serve, add the chickpeas, chopped vegetables, corn, green chili, and cilantro to a large bowl. Sprinkle the dry dressing ingredients and add the lime juice and spiced oil.

Toss everything thoroughly to coat. Serve immediately, or let the salad sit for up to an hour, so the flavors can meld. Serve with pita chips or toasted pita bread.

What to Serve with Mango Chickpea Salad

This is a delicious summer lunch served with pita chips or toasted pita bread for dipping.