Chickpea Salad combines all of my favorite fresh vegetables in one delicious bite.
Chickpeas are combined with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and creamy avocados all tossed in an easy homemade lemon kissed dressing.
This easy salad recipe makes a perfect side dish for almost any meal or a great lunch. Add in some protein like grilled chicken breasts to make it a hearty dinner!
A Protein Packed Salad
- To create a salad that packs a protein punch without adding meat, add chickpeas!
- Use any combination of your favorite raw vegetables, this fresh version reminds us of Greek salad.
- Using canned chickpeas makes this extra quick.
- The dressing is fresh and healthy with just a few ingredients.
- Chickpea salad keeps fresh in the fridge for a few days (add the avocado to each serving if making ahead for lunches).
Ingredients in Chickpea Salad
I love fresh summery salads filled with a huge variety of produce.
Vegetables:
- Use English cucumbers or baby cucumbers as they have nice thin skins and don’t require peeling.
- You can use grape (or cherry tomatoes) or seeded and diced roma tomatoes.
- Bell peppers add crunch and flavor, use red or yellow bell pepper for a sweeter flavor.
- Avocado adds a great creamy buttery texture.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are also known as garbanzo beans. This recipe calls for canned chickpeas to save time. Be sure to rinse them to remove excess salt.
You can use dried chickpeas (cook them before adding to the salad). If using dried chickpeas, you’ll likely want to add a little bit of extra salt to the recipe.
Fresh Herbs
This chickpea salad needs fresh parsley (dry parsley doesn’t have the same flavor for this salad). You can substitute cilantro or dill if you’d prefer.
How to Make a Chickpea Salad
- Cut a ripe avocado and toss with fresh lemon juice per the recipe below.
- Add remaining ingredients, including rinsed chickpeas.
- Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad. Gently toss.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste.
This salad will last days in the fridge making for a great lunch dish! If you’re making this ahead of time, leave the avocado out and add it just before serving!
Chickpea Salad Dressing
This salad is full of fresh ingredients so I keep the dressing nice and light. A simple mixture of red wine vinegar and olive oil with a hint of seasoning is all that’s needed.
You can use as much or as little as you’d like and the leftovers will keep at least 1 week to drizzle over tossed salad or even grilled veggies!
Choosing Olive Oil Extra virgin olive oil is considered the least processed and most flavorful, while extra light is the most processed and has a much lighter flavor (but it isn’t lighter in fat or calories). We prefer a lighter version of olive oil in this recipe. Vegetable oil or avocado oil will also work in this recipe!
Recipe Tips
- Cut an avocado by removing the seed and cutting the flesh into squares right in the skin. Use a spoon to easily scoop the cubes into a bowl.
- Lemon juice adds flavor to the salad and keeps the avocado from turning brown. If you’re making this ahead of time, leave the avocado out and add it just before serving
- Chickpeas can be substituted with other canned beans like black beans. Be sure to rinse and drain them before adding to the salad.
- A sprinkle of feta is a great addition to this salad.
Variations
This chickpea salad recipe is so versatile. Swap in your favorite vegetables; red pepper for green pepper, white or green onion for red onion.
Try adding olives or a bit of feta cheese. Feta is quite salty itself, start with less salt when you add the seasonings.
Chickpea Salad is a complete meal that is low in fat, high in protein, and incredibly delicious! A superpower salad that is so satisfying, and …fun!
More Salads Without Lettuce
- Easy Panzanella Salad – Classic Italian tomato & bread salad
- Favorite Spaghetti Salad – Potluck favorite!
- Cucumber Onion Salad – Easy and delicious
- Greek Salad – Family favorite (without lettuce)
- Ramen Noodle Salad – Quick prep!
Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- ½ fresh lemon
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced
- 2 cups cucumber diced
- 1 can chickpeas drained (19 ounces)
- ¾ cup green bell pepper diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup red onion sliced
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cut avocado into cubes and place in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the avocado and gently stir to combine.
- Add remaining salad ingredients and gently toss to combine.
- Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
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Tried this several years ago and just made it again. Absolutely love it!! So fresh and delicious by itself or as a dip, or a side dish, or on grilled chicken pita pockets with tzatziki. Heavenly. It’s like a reset to better, more healthy eating.
Even at half the recipe it makes enough for 3 days!! It is so full of great veggies and the flavors all meld! I used cilantro and of course it was just as good!!
Thanks for the dressing, it makes the salad!!
BEST salad I’ve made in a while. I was hesitant about the cumin but it is absolutely amazing. I added black olives in the end. Super delicious!!!
Thank you for providing essy and affordable recipes. I was out of a few ingredients but it still came out great.
Would White wine vinegar work?
Hi Paige, that should work well in the dressing. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Could you add black beans to this salad?
Sure, that sounds delicious, Jan!
How many times can I double this recipe?
I would love to make it for my granddaughters
Graduation.
Hi Anne, since this is a salad it should be fine to double this recipe as much as you need. I would maybe reduce the amount of dressing you add to the salad until you have tasted it.
Easy and delicious. So good for you, too!
Fresh & Easy!! Love all the fresh veggies and you can add whatever extra veggies you may love like celery or broccoli, olives or diced carrots and the dressing makes the dish!!
Could you use broccoli instead of green peppers, or something else? Thanks, can’t wait to make for family.
You can use another color of bell pepper. Raw broccoli would work or perhaps chopped raw zucchini.
I love this salad!!
Is there a substitute for avocado. No one in my family likes avocado; otherwise the recipe sounds good. Love you newsletters. Mary Lou
So glad you’ve loved the newsletters. You can leave the avocado out if you would like. Enjoy!
Yum! Going to make this chickpea salad tonight. It looks fabulous!
Hi, sorry I am a little confused. You mentioned a lemon dressing, should there be Lemon in the dressing as well as over the avocado? Thank you.
The lemon does come from adding it in with the avocado. Enjoy the salad Kathleen!
I don’t like chickpea’s but when a friend of mine made this salad it changed my whole outlook on them. It is the tastiest, refreshing and wholesome salad ever! I will be making it more often over these summer months. Thank you to whoever invented it.
Blessings and love
Marney
Delicious, better after a day in the refrigerator.
Yummy
Fantastic salad, WINNER!
Nice Excellent flavors! I Loved this for lunch! keep shareing nice thought.
Deeelish! Made this as a side for crab cakes. Absolutely refreshing. Thanks!