by Holly
Chickpea Salad combines all of my favorite fresh vegetables in one delicious bite. Chickpeas are combined with juicy tomatoes, refreshing cucumbers and creamy avocados all tossed in an easy homemade lemon kissed dressing.
This easy salad recipe makes a perfect side dish for burgers or steaks or turn it into a complete meal by adding in grilled chicken breasts!
A Protein Packed Salad
How can you create a salad that packs a protein punch without adding meat? One of the best ways is to include chickpeas! Chickpea Salad is such a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy fresh summer veggies and is perfect to make ahead and enjoy for lunch!
I love fresh summery salads filled with a huge variety of produce and this recipe contains so many wonderful, fresh ingredients! Refreshing cucumbers, juicy diced tomatoes, crisp bell peppers and smooth creamy avocados are the perfect complement to chickpeas! Not only is the combination of colors and textures beautiful, it is loaded with flavor for a totally irresistible meal ready in just minutes.
How to Make a Chickpea Salad
Chickpeas are the same as garbanzo beans and can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
Avocado: Choose an avocado that is ripe (a little bit soft but not too soft). Once the seed is removed, cut the flesh into squares right in the skin and then use a spoon to easily scoop them out into a bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over it, this not only adds flavor to the salad, it keeps avocado from turning brown.
Fresh Herbs: In this chickpea salad you’ll really want to use fresh parsley (dry parsley doesn’t have the same flavor for this salad). You can substitute cilantro or dill if you’d prefer.
Veggies: Chop your veggies into bite sized pieces and toss with the dressing. This will last days in the fridge making for a great lunch dish! If you’re making this ahead of time, you might list to leave the avocado out and add it just before serving!
Chickpea Salad Dressing
For the dressing in this recipe, I combine all of the liquid ingredients in a mason jar and give it a shake. 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!
Olive Oil: There are many options for olive oil; extra virgin, virgin, pure/light, extra light. Extra virgin is considered the least processed and most flavorful, while extra light is the most processed and has a much lighter flavor (and isn’t lighter in fat). So your personal taste and nutritional desires will dictate which one you choose. Vegetable oil or avocado oil will also work in this recipe!
Swap Out the Veggies
This recipe is so versatile, you can substitute your favorite vegetables; red pepper for green pepper, white or green onion for red onion. Adding feta cheese makes a nice variation, but since 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 super power salad that is so satisfying, and …fun!
More Easy Salads
- 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
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- ½ fresh lemon
- 1 can chickpeas drained (19 oz)
- ¼ cup red onion sliced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced
- 2 cups cucumber diced
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¾ cup green bell pepper diced
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Cut avocado into cubes and place in bowl. Squeeze the juice from ½ 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.
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
