This Hummus Chicken Salad is a creamy, satisfying, allergy-friendly chicken salad with protein, fiber, and flavor. Uses hummus in place of mayo.
About Chicken Salad with Hummus
Chicken Salad is a staple in my fridge, especially during the summer. It's one of those easy things to have on hand that can be a snack, a lunch, even a dinner if needed. You can eat chicken salad on a sandwich, on a salad, or with sliced veggies or whole grain crackers.
Many times, chicken salad is made with mayo or yogurt. I never have mayo in my house, and I really don't like the way chicken salad tastes when made with yogurt, unless I'm making Buffalo Chicken Salad or Basil Balsamic Chicken Salad.
Plus, I like having options for people who do not eat dairy or mayo (or eggs). So this Hummus Chicken Salad recipe is made with hummus as the binder. You can use store bought hummus or homemade.
Often, I spend the extra 10 minutes making the hummus because I don't always have hummus in my fridge, but I do have canned chickpeas. You are welcome to make this using store-bought hummus though! Honestly, there is little difference in the taste, and it makes it super easy if you are using store bought hummus.
The recipe ingredients and directions below are listed for if you are making the hummus from scratch. However, I got your back if you're using store bought hummus too!
Ingredients
Chickpeas: The base on the hummus is chickpeas, so these are a must. I buy the canned cooked chickpeas for convenience but you are welcome to cook your own from dried. I prefer the no salt added so you don't get a lot of added sodium.
Lemon: Fresh lemon or bottled lemon juice really helps amplify the flavor of the chicken salad, regardless of whether or not you make your own hummus. However, if you are using store bought hummus, feel free to omit it.
Olive oil: The olive oil gives the creaminess to your homemade hummus, so it's necessary to have a smooth chicken salad. I prefer extra virgin olive oil because it adds a lot of flavor, but regular olive oil will work find. The veggies and spices give the hummus enough flavor.
Spices: Garlic, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt are my staple spices, but you can omit any of them. I wouldn't omit the salt if possible. You can always decrease it, but it'll help round out the flavor of the chicken salad nicely.
Chicken: I used a rotisserie chicken to make this easy, but you could use any cooked chicken. One rotisserie chicken or one roasted chicken should give you about 3 cups of cooked white meat to use for this chicken salad. You could also poach the chicken {you'd want to use about 1 pound uncooked chicken to get about 12 ounces cooked} or cook it in a crock pot.
Veggies: There's a small amount of onion and celery you find in most Classic Chicken Salad recipes. And bell pepper is also included in this Hummus Chicken Salad for more flavor and crunch. Feel free to play around with the amounts of each veggie, but note that it's best not to go overboard with the raw onion since it has a strong flavor.
Cost of Recipe
- chickpeas 15 ounce can: $0.99
- lemon 1/2: $0.25
- olive oil 3 tablespoons: $0.72
- garlic 1 clove: $0.06
- salt 1/2 teaspoon: $0.01
- paprika 1/2 teaspoon: $0.08
- cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon: $0.02
- cooked chicken 12 ounces: $4.59
- onion 1/4 medium: $0.13
- bell pepper 1/2: $0.89
- celery 2 stalks: $0.28
TOTAL COST: $8.02 (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2020) or $1/serving
How to Make Hummus Chicken Salad
This recipe to make chicken salad with hummus is simple enough. Make the homemade hummus, add chicken and vegetables, and stir. You can also buy hummus and use it, but for the sake of these recipe step-by-step photos, I include how to make Hummus Chicken Salad with homemade hummus here:
- Add the chickpeas, water, lemon juice, salt, and garlic to a food processor.
- Blend, and push down sides.
- Pour in olive oil and blend again until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl with chicken and diced onion. Stir well.
- Add in celery and bell peppers, and stir together until completely combined.
- Serve with chips, crackers, sliced veggies, or on sandwiches.
Recipe Tips
Ingredient Options
For this Chicken Salad made with Hummus, you have the option to change the recipe when making the hummus from scratch, or you can simply buy store bought hummus to change it.
Chickpeas: White beans can be used in place of the chickpeas.
Lemon juice: Use vinegar like white wine, red wine, or apple cider vinegar. Another option is lime juice.
Veggies: I think all chicken salads are best with some kind of onion and celery, and I love the extra flavor the red bell pepper gets. However, you are welcome to omit any of the veggies or replace them with others like green onions, carrots or yellow, orange, or green bell peppers.
Hummus: Skip making the hummus at home, and buy your favorite flavor of store-bought hummus.
How to Make Allergy Friendly
Hummus Chicken Salad is naturally gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, and soy free. If you are buying hummus from the store, be sure to check the ingredients list if you need to avoid any allergen.
Flavor Substitutions
You can always change the hummus flavor if you want to change this. Or omit any of the veggies. Alternatively, you could sprinkle a different spice combo like 1/4 teaspoon chili powder + 1/8 teaspoon cumin. Or 1/2 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasoning to give it a different flavor.
How to Fix a Mistake
It's not mixing well: If you find that the salad isn't holding together well, add a little more hummus (if you have it) and/or lemon juice.
Too much hummus: Add more diced veggies and/or chicken to the mixture if you feel like there is too much hummus.
Make Ahead Ideas
Hummus Chicken Salad is great to make ahead of time because it gives the flavors time to mesh together. You can make this up to 2 or 3 days in advance. It will last about 4 to 5 days in the fridge, but the veggies might get a little softer than desired by that point.
Storage Suggestions
Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This does not freeze well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you add more veggies in this Hummus Chicken Salad?
Honestly, I think this is maxed out with veggies, especially onions. Anymore onions in here would be too overpowering, and extra veggies could make it challenging to have a chicken salad that holds together properly. If you want extra veggies, serve your Hummus Chicken Salad with sliced veggies or over lettuce for a salad.
Nutrition Benefits
Chicken is high in protein, and chickpeas (which is the base of hummus) is a good source of plant-based protein and fiber. The added veggies, which are not common in most chicken salads, add vitamins and antioxidants.
What to Serve with Hummus Chicken Salad
You can eat chicken salad pretty much any way you want, and this Hummus Chicken Salad is no different. I love to serve in a bowl with crackers and sliced veggies (I usually use celery and bell peppers since those are already in the chicken salad). Or you can make a hummus chicken salad sandwich or serve over lettuce for a salad.
Final thoughts: Hummus Chicken Salad is a really good idea friends... Really good idea! It's creamy thanks to the hummus but it's allergy-friendly, so pretty much anyone can eat it. I like that about this recipe. It's egg free, gluten free, dairy free, and nut free.
It's a fabulous thing to have in the fridge especially on busy days because it's an easy thing to grab that'll give you a nutritious punch of protein, a touch of fiber, and veggies. Enjoy!
MORE CHICKEN SALAD RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
- Classic Chicken Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Curry Avocado Chicken Salad
- Pimento Cheese Chicken Salad
- Basil Balsamic Chicken Salad
- Avocado Chicken Salad
Hummus Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed & drained
- 3 TBSP water
- 3-4 TBSP lemon juice
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 1 clove garlic about 1 tsp minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 cups cooked chicken 12 oz, shredded
- 1/4 cup grated or diced onion about 1/4 medium onion
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper about 1/2 bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced celery about 2 stalks
Instructions
- Add chickpeas, water, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper to a bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and stir in shredded chicken and grated onion, along with any juices from onion. Stir until completely combined. Add in diced bell pepper and celery.
- Taste and season with additional lemon juice, salt, paprika, and/or cayenne pepper as needed.
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published May 19, 2014. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Doesn't this recipe look good?! You should probably share it:
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
I love eating chicken salad, but I hate that store-bought or restaurant-made chicken salads usually contains a lot of mayo. Love this healthier version!
Meme says
Thanks Lisa! I know what you mean - I hate how almost every chicken salad you buy is so bad for you. My other favorite is this one that is made with cottage cheese, not mayo 🙂
Lew says
Sounds wonderful! But seriously ... you discount using store-bought hummus because it has " preservatives and other undesirable ingredients", and then you make your own using canned garbanzoes?! How much sodium do you think those have? About 300mg per 100g serving! Make your hummus the "hard way", from cooked dry garbanzoes!
Meme says
Thanks for your comment! I totally agree -- I should have said that I use no salt added chickpeas in the recipe. I've updated that recipe to say that. Dry chickpeas are obviously the best choice, but I know that sometimes people either don't have the time or the energy or want to put in the effort (even though it is minimal) to use dry chickpeas.