Chickpea Cucumber Avocado Salad with a citrusy herb vinaigrette is loaded with healthy fats, plant based protein, and is delicious to boot! The perfect side dish to any meal or a lovely light dinner when you’re craving something small.
A perfect mashup of my Avocado Salad and my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad, this flavor-blasted Chickpea Avocado Cucumber Salad recipe includes all the flavors, textures, and colors you want in a delicious healthy salad recipe!
If you’re a fan of cucumber salad, chickpea salad, or avocado, you’re going to find this healthy salad recipe to be a real hoot!
It is the perfect side dish to any main entrée, and is also ideal for those times you’re craving a light meal.
Creamy avocado, tangy feta, juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and a simple dressing make this easy salad recipe an absolute dream.
Let’s discuss the fresh ingredients needed to make this beauty happen.
Ingredients for Chickpea Avocado Cucumber Salad:
Garbanzo Beans (also known as chickpeas): Bringing plant-based protein, that delicious bean texture and plenty of complex carbohydrates, garbanzo beans are a powerhouse superfood ingredient here.
Avocados: Adding creamy texture, healthy fats, and general avocado deliciousness, aim for a ripe avocado that is soft but still slightly firm.
Cucumber: English cucumbers bring a great deal of refreshing flavor and have the most lovely cooling effect for those times when you’re looking for something chilled.
Cherry Tomatoes: Little cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes lend tangy flavor and juicy texture to the salad.
Red Onion: A nice little sting from red onion provides subtle heat to balance out the flavor profile. If you find red onions to be too powerful, you can soak them in red wine vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes to help soften the flavor. Simply drain them from the vinegar before incorporating them into the salad.
Green Onions: Because one type of onion isn’t enough, we also use green onion for added flavor but in a toned down fashion. Both onions provide something special to this healthy chickpea salad recipe so I do recommend using both.
Feta Cheese: A generous amount of feta cheese makes this whole salad come together in perfect harmony with its creamy, tangy flavor. Skip it for a vegan chickpea salad recipe if you need a dairy-free option. If you’re a blue cheese fanatic, feel free to make the swap.
Dressing Ingredients: Avocado oil (or olive oil), fresh lemon juice, rice vinegar, pure maple syrup, fresh garlic, fresh oregano, fresh dill, salt and pepper.
This combination of ingredients compliments each other nicely and the end result is a sweet, tangy, zesty, zippy vibrant salad with the most amazing lemon herb vinaigrette.
As always, you can customize this salad to your heart’s desire by adding your favorite fresh vegetables, or omitting certain ingredients you don’t enjoy.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add bell pepper, fresh basil, sunflower seeds, lime juice, garlic powder, goat cheese, fresh mint, dijon mustard or even grilled chicken to this easy chickpea salad.
- Stir in some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Turn this garbanzo bean salad into black bean salad by swapping the garbanzos for black beans.
- Use lentils instead of garbanzos for lentil salad.
- Rather than using crumbled feta, use a block of feta and chop it into cubes.
- Mix chopped leafy greens into the salad for a green salad, or serve this delicious salad on top of a bed of greens.
- If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can swap them for the dried versions. Also feel free to swap them for different herbs such as fresh parsley or fresh cilantro.
- Add a couple of cans of tuna or canned salmon or 2 to 3 cups of chopped leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for the perfect addition to make a complete meal.
How to Make Chickpea Avocado Cucumber Salad:
Mix all of the ingredients for the chickpea avocado salad dressing in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.
Transfer all of the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl. Pour all of the dressing into the mixing bowl and gently toss everything together until the ingredients are coated in vinaigrette.
Taste the salad for flavor and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.
Serve immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (or 4 days if you are waiting until serving to add the avocado). The salad tastes freshest when consumed within 24 hours but will still save for a few days before the avocado gets funky.
Turn It Into A Meal Prep Recipe:
If you love making recipes ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week, you can use this as a great meal prep recipe. Make it as written, but leave the avocado out until just before you eat it.
Adjust the portion of avocado you add based on your personal preference or based on the portion of the salad you’re eating.
For instance, if you want to serve or eat one quarter of the salad, add half of an avocado to one quarter of the salad just before you eat it. This ensures the freshest result.
If you’re looking for more chilled salad recipes for warm weather gatherings, check these timeless classics out!
More Hearty Salad Recipes:
- Refreshing Greek Salad
- Pesto Chicken Salad with Avocado
- Mediterranean Salmon Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Waldorf Chicken Salad
- The Best Potato Salad
- The Best Broccoli Salad
This unique side dish recipe is unlike anything you’ve tried yet has that familiar cucumber salad essence for something new and exciting yet classic and crowd-pleasing.
Enjoy this fresh, cooling, healthy chickpea avocado cucumber salad recipe as a great addition to your weekly meal routine!
Ingredients
Chickpea Salad:
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
- 2 medium-sized ripe but firm avocados, peeled and diced
- 1 medium-sized English cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- ⅔ cup feta cheese
Dressing:
- ¼ cup avocado oil*
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar**
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1 small clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (or ½ tsp dried)
- 2 tsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
- ¼ tsp sea salt, to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients for the chickpea avocado salad dressing in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
- Transfer all of the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl. Pour all of the dressing into the mixing bowl and gently toss everything together until the ingredients are coated in vinaigrette.
- Taste the salad for flavor and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.
- Serve immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (or 4 days if you are waiting until serving to add the avocado).
BobT
Tuesday 18th of July 2023
Wonderful recipe. So adaptable. I added fresh corn and my wife thought that was the star ingredient!
Julia
Thursday 20th of July 2023
Ooh, YUM! Sounds so great with corn! Thanks for sharing, Bob!