Chickpea Avocado Salad with tomatoes, cucumber and Mediterranean dressing. This protein packed garbanzo bean salad takes only 15 minutes to make.
Other affordable year round salads we love is this avocado salad, avocado corn salad and avocado tomato cucumber salad.
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This is the best chickpea avocado salad that I have ever made! It is super tasty and is based on traditional Ukrainian cucumber and tomato salad I grew up with, minus the garbanzo beans.
It definitely has Mediterranean flare to it. Juicy tomato, creamy avocado, crunchy cucumber and simple dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and freshly cracked pepper.
I now have dedicated Mediterranean chickpea salad that I am sure you will appreciate!
This avocado chickpea salad recipe is so filling, it can be lunch. Meal prep for a week, then serve alongside grilled chicken breast or grilled salmon. Sprinkle with feta cheese like traditional Greek salad, the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients for Chickpea Avocado Salad
To make this chickpea avocado salad you will need just a few simple ingredients.
- Chickpeas: Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are legumes of yellow color and round shape. Chickpeas are extremely high in protein and super good for you. They are used to make hummus. I recommend to buy low sodium chickpeas in BPA free cans or cook your own chickpeas in Instant Pot.
- Cucumber: Cukes can be seeded or not, cut into bite sized pieces.
- Tomato: Large or mini tomatoes work. When choosing large, best to pick not too soft fruit so it doesn’t leak too much. Also sharp knife helps a lot to cut through their skin.
- Avocado: Pick avocado with brown skin and slightly soft to the touch.
- Red onion: Red onion or white onion are sweet and less sharp than yellow onion.
- Fresh herbs: Any fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, fresh dill or fresh basil will be great.
- Simple dressing: Olive oil, fresh lemon juice or lime juice, salt and pepper.
How to Make Chickpea Avocado Salad
Here is a quick overview how to make chickpea avocado salad. Full recipe card is located below.
- Chop veggies: No matter the size of vegetables, make sure to chop them into bite-sized pieces a bit larger chickpeas’ size for the maximum flavour in every bite.
- To dice avocado, using chef’s knife, cut avocado in half lengthwise. Hold half with a pit in one hand, gently tap sharp edge into the pit deep enough to twist the pit out, twist the knife and discard the pit. Remove with the spoon and dice the avocado.
- Make salad dressing by whisking olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Combine everything and stir gently. I like to use metal spoon so it doesn’t make chickpea salad with avocado mushy. Also, do not stir too long.
Tips for the Perfect Salad
- Natural juices from tomato and cucumber are released as soon as you add salt, so it’s best to add salad dressing right before serving.
- Slice red onion in larger pieces or just big enough for kids to pick out and adults to enjoy.
- Look for a ripe but firm avocado to avoid it becoming mushy when tossed with the salad ingredients.
Salad Flavor Variations
This chickpea avocado salad is both healthy and delicious plus there are so many ways to switch up the flavors!
- Leafy greens: You could add chopped kale, romaine lettuce or spinach.
- Ukrainian flare: My aunt always added sliced radishes. And of course a little bit of freshly grated garlic adds more oumph.
- More Mediterranean: Add 1/4 cup crumbled feta but then reduce salt. Toasted pine nuts make this salad more Mediterranean.
- Mexican twist: Use lime juice in the dressing then add diced jalapeno and 1 teaspoon cumin.
What To Serve Chickpea Avocado Salad With?
Chickpea avocado salad goes well with any protein and side like bulgur, quinoa or brown rice.
Serve with other Mediterranean dishes like Greek chicken kabobs, grilled lemon rosemary chicken or Greek chicken.
Or pick one of our chicken marinades, make some grilled chicken with it and serve with grilled pita bread. Below photo is of grilled chicken with fajita marinade.
How to Meal Prep the Chickpea Avocado Salad?
You can make chickpea avocado salad for up to 1 day in advance making it a great make ahead side dish for summer holiday parties or as part of your weekday healthy lunch!
- Prep veggies: Add all ingredients except dressing and avocado to a salad bowl.
- Make the dressing.
- Store: Cover and refrigerate both until ready to serve, up to 1 day.
- Before serving: Dice it and combine chickpea salad with avocado when ready to serve. You might have to warm up the dressing to melt the oil.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers for up to 1 day. Because there are no leafy greens like in lettuce salad, avocado chickpea salad salad holds up well. Do not freeze.
FAQs
Yes, because they are first cooked, then canned. I prefer to rinse my chickpeas after draining them to remove the aquafaba (fancy word for chickpea liquid).
Yes! This chickpea salad recipe is packed with plant based protein, blood cleansing cilantro, vitamin C loaded tomatoes, heart healthy avocado, and cancer fighting red onion. Here you can read more about health benefits of chickpeas.
Yes! This is a great addition. Add feta cheese to chickpea salad with avocado right before serving.
Sure! This chickpea avocado salad is so versatile, try any of these healthy salad dressings for a different flavor profile.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Avocado egg salad
- Chicken avocado salad
- Spinach avocado salad
- Chickpea tuna salad
- Spinach avocado salad
- Tomato mozzarella avocado salad
- Shrimp avocado salad
- Tuna avocado salad
Chickpea Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas drained & rinsed
- 1 long English cucumber cut into bite size pieces
- 3 medium tomatoes cut into bite size pieces
- 2 medium ripe avocados diced
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup parsley dill or cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 large lime or lemon juice of
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, red onion and parsley.
- In a small bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and whisk.
- Pour dressing over salad and gently stir to combine.
- Serve cold on its own or with grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, or pick one of 5 easy chicken marinades and cook chicken.
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight glass container for up to 1 day.
- Make ahead: You can make this salad up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate beans and veggies except avocado in a bowl and dressing in a jar. When ready to serve, dice avocado, warm up dressing to melt the oil and combine.
- Homemade chickpeas: I cook my own Instant Pot chickpeas. You can also learn how to cook dried beans on the stove.
- Leafy greens: You could add chopped kale, romaine lettuce or spinach.
- Other vegetables: My aunt always added sliced radishes.
- Feta: Add 1/4 cup crumbled feta but then reduce salt.
- Nuts: Toasted pine nuts make this salad more Mediterranean.
- Mexican variation: Use lime, add diced jalapeno and 1 tsp cumin.
this recipe is suuuuuch a slay. i made it for lunch and dinner meal prep and never got sick of it! adding feta was a great tip too 🙂
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!
although NOTHING beats a good bowl of guac, alternatives are pretty good!
Guac is amazing agreed, so glad you enjoyed this, too!
I think this was the best recipe I found for a chickpea salad! I added quinoa, and added red wine vinegar to the dressing, and the proportions of chickpeas to tomatoes and cucumber and onion are perfect.
So glad you enjoyed it!