This Chickpea salad with avocado is loaded with healthy ingredients, crunchy veggies and topped with the most amazing, creamy avocado dressing. A great, vegetarian side salad.
This avocado chickpea salad is a delicious side dish, that can also be served as a light lunch or dinner. It will keep in the fridge for a few days, so it makes a great meal-prep! The salad is loaded with flavor, crunchy veggies and plant based protein. It is also gluten free and can easily be made vegan.
This healthy chickpea salad uses canned chickpeas. It’s a great timesaver just like in this flavor packed Moroccan chickpea salad. Chickpeas are a great source of plant based protein, fiber and nutrients. They are also cheap, healthy and low in calories and fat. They are really budget friendly and available year round.
If you are looking for more protein packed salads, try this Red Lentil Salad, Tuscan bean salad or this Lentil and chickpea salad.
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Ingredients
Listed below are the ingredients need to make this salad with chickpeas and avocado.
For the full written recipe with the ingredient quantities, see the recipe card.
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- Chickpeas, I use canned chickpeas in this salad, it’s a real time saver. You can also boil your own chickpeas, just follow the packet instructions and let them cool down to room temperature before adding to this chickpea salad.
- Pickled Red onion or sliced red onion, ads a nice crunch and bite to this salad. Get the recipe for the pickled red onion.
- Cherry tomatoes, cut them in half.
- Red or yellow bell pepper, chopped. Any colour of pepper works here, I have make this salad with both red and yellow bell pepper.
- Avocados, chopped in big chunks.
- Mixed herbs, like parsley, dill and basil, chopped. Adds a fresh flavour to this salad.
- Feta cheese, crumbled
Avocado dressing
- Avocado, a large and ripe avocado will give a smooth and creamy
- Greek yoghurt, unsweetened and full fat for the creamiest dressing.
- Water, for thinner consistency
- Fresh herbs, like basil, cilantro, dill or parsley, chopped
- Lemon, juiced
- Garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this healthy avocado chickpea salad is easy. Follow the step by step photos below.
For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
- Step 1: Place all the ingredients in a high speed food processor or mixer.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Thin out with more water for a thinner consistency. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 3: To a large salad bowl, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion and half the feta cheese, avocado and chopped herbs.
- Step 4: Drizzle the avocado dressing over the vegetables and the toss to combine.
Salt and pepper to taste and top with the remaining feta cheese, avocado and chopped herbs.
Hint: If you don’t use all of the dressing, save it and use it for dipping vegetable sticks or tortilla chips.
Substitutions and Variations
- Spicy – For a salad, add a little red chill flakes or even sliced fresh chili.
- Vegan – for a vegan version, use a plant based greek style yoghurt in the dressing, and a vegan feta cheese.
- Beans – Instead of chickpeas, canned beans or lentils can also be used, or a mix or beans, chickpeas or lentils.
- Onion – The pickled red onion, ads a nice crunch and bite to this salad. It can also be replaced with sliced red onion, copped spring onions or shallots.
- Chickpeas – this recipe uses canned chickpeas but dried chickpeas works too, just takes a little longer to prepare. Soak and boil them following the packet instructions, careful not to overcook them so they go mushy. Let them cool down to room temperature before adding to this chickpea and avocado salad.
- Herbs – instead of chopped fresh herbs, frozen can also be used. Use a mix or herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro, or just one of them if you prefer.
- Veggies – Add more veggies to this chickpea salad, some great options are chopped cucumber, or finely shedded cabbage. Adding some olives is also a great idea!
- Grains – Add some cooked rice, quinoa, couscous, farro, or barley to this chickpea salad.
- Greens – Add some baby spinach, chopped romain, arugula or greens of choice.
- Dressing – Instead of the avocado dressing, try this Maple Tahini Dressing or this Sun dried tomato vinaigrette.
More salads to try: Chickpea tahini salad or this Chickpea cucumber feta salad.
Equipment
To make the creamy avocado salad dressing, use a hight speed blender or food processor. An immersion blender also works.
Storage
This chickpea salad with avocado and feta cheese can be prepared ahead of time, makes it a great option for meal prep! Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Keep a big batch in the fridge to ad as a healthy side to any meal.
Salad does not freeze well, so I don’t recommend that.
Top Tip
This garbanzo bean avocado salad tastes great served in a wrap with some baby spinach or lettuce leaves. Or mash or chop it up fine, and make it into a sandwich filling. Tastes amazing served with this homemade No knead olive bread or this No Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
FAQ
Yes, canned chickpeas are pre-cooked and ready to eat. No need to cook them, they can be added to this salad as is.
This salad makes a great side to any meal. Or serve it alongside some homemade bread like this No knead olive bread or this No Knead Whole Wheat Bread.
For this salad, yes. Draining and rinsing canned chickpeas will lower the sodium level. In other dishes the chickpea liquid is also used along with the chickpeas.
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This Chickpea salad with avocado is loaded with healthy ingredients, crunchy veggies and topped with the most amazing, creamy avocado dressing. A great, vegetarian side salad.
- 2 (400g/14 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups (300g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup pickled red onion, or ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 avocados, chopped in big chunks
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup mixed herbs like parsley, dill and basil, chopped
- 1 avocado
- ¼ cups greek yoghurt
- ¼ cup water, or more for thinner consistency
- ¼ cup fresh herbs, like basil, cilantro, dill or parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Place all the ingredients in a high speed food processor or mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Thin out with more water for a thinner consistency. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
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To a large salad bowl, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion and half the feta cheese, avocado and chopped herbs.
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Drizzle over the dressing and lightly toss to combine. Top with the remaining feta cheese, avocado and herbs. serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!
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