Best Chickpea Avocado Salad
Chickpea Avocado Salad is by far my favorite vegan sandwich of all time. Something about the flavors of lime, avocado, and cilantro just thrill my taste buds.
The fact that it takes less than 10 minutes and only requires a bowl and fork to prepare doesn’t hurt either. If you’re a big avocado fan, try this Easy Avocado Toast recipe as well!
Another delicious vegan salad recipe is Easy Chickpea Tuna Salad which is great on sandwiches as well.
This chickpea salad spread is…
- Easy to make
- Amazingly delicious
- Vegan
- Oil-free
- Gluten-free
- Perfect for picnics
- Full of protein
- Versatile with serving options
- The best sandwich ever!
How to make chickpea avocado salad
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork or potato masher and smash the chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) and avocado together. Check out these tips for how to tell if your avocado is ripe and ready to use.
Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out with a spoon. A large tablespoon works well for scooping.
Add the avocado to the bowl and mash in with the chickpeas using the potato masher.
Chop up the cilantro and green onion. Add them plus the lime juice to the bowl with chickpeas and avocado mixture. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste preference.
Spread the garbanzo bean salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings.
I like to add fresh spinach leaves. Or you can stuff the spread into endive or another lettuce leaf and serve for a beautiful and delicious chickpea salad appetizer!
Homemade vegan mayonnaise is also a great addition. It requires only 5 ingredients and a blender to make, and it keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Watch the cooking demonstration at the bottom of the recipe to see how easy preparing this recipe can be!
*Originally published April 2015.
This recipe has many variations from some terrific chefs. The first time I ever saw it was from cookbook author, Collen Patrick-Goudreau.
Tips for serving chickpea salad
- Serving- There are so many options for serving this spread–vegan sandwiches, wraps, or even lettuce wraps. We sometimes stuff endive or other large lettuce leaves with this spread and serve as an appetizer. It’s a great option for those avoiding bread and gluten products.
- Dip- This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut-up veggies, crackers, or pita chips.
- Pack and go- Perfect for picnics! Simply pack in a cooler with other great picnic foods like hummus and veggies.
How to store chickpea salad
If you want to make this ahead of time and have it still keep its pretty green color, there’s a trick for that. I have had a lot of luck keeping it from turning too dark by placing the avocado pit in an airtight bowl with the spread and storing it in the refrigerator. It will keep longer that way.
Other great picnic recipes
- Smoked Tempeh Sandwich (TLT) / Tempeh, Lettuce, Tomato
- Ultimate Vegan Grilled Cheese
- Veggies in a Blanket
- No-Egg Salad
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Cucumber Sandwiches
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Best Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed (1.5 cups cooked)
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons green onion chopped
- 3 tablepspoons lime juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher, smash the chickpeas
- Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out with a spoon. Check out these tips for how to tell if your avocado is ripe and ready to use.
- Add avocado to the bowl and mash in with the chickpeas.
- Chop up the cilantro, and green onion. Add them plus the lime juice to the bowl with the chickpeas and avocado mixture.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread chickpea avocado salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. My homemade Vegan Mayonnaise goes perfectly with this.
- I like to add fresh spinach leaves. Or you can stuff the spread into an endive or other lettuce leaf and serve for a beautiful and delicious appetizer!
- Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut-up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.
Equipment
Video
Notes
Storage Tip:
If you want to make this ahead of time and have it still keep its pretty green color, there's a trick for that. I have had a lot of luck keeping it from turning too dark by placing the avocado pit in an airtight bowl with the spread and storing it in the refrigerator. It will keep longer that way.Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
I made this 2 days ago for lunch. I substituted parsley for cilantro as I am not a fan. I put on bread with lettuce and slices of tomato. We loved this so much I made again the next day. Love your recipes.
Hi Robyn- How wonderful to hear! I love hearing that the parsley sub worked out so well. Thank you!
made this tonight. SO good! Can’t wait to put it on toast with lettuce and tomato.
I made this for my quarantined octogenarian parents. My Mom said This is great. Buy more chick peas! Pretty good response.
I added some cumin and mustard because I didn’t have any cilantro.
We had it as a snack on zucchini slices.
Hi Erin- It’s terrific to hear that you and your parents liked this, and I love that your substitutions worked out so well. Thanks so much for letting me know, and I agree with your mom, “Buy more chickpeas!” LOL!
I made this to take on a road trip. I put it on pumpernickel bread. It was amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Robin- I try to keep an avocado in my refrigerator veggie drawer at all times to make this sandwich spread in a pinch for lunch or dinner. It really is my favorite spread for sandwiches. So glad you liked it too!
Do you remember what brand of bread you used for the photo? Looking for a seeded, whole grain vegan bread. Your recipe is delicious! i could eat this everyday!
Hi Nana- We love Dave’s Killer bread in the green package. It doesn’t have any oil and is very moist. It’s the one in the photo, and I highly recommend it. So glad that you loved the recipe!