Healthy Chickpea Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber

This healthy Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber is vegan and gluten-free!  Low in fat and high in protein.  Quick and easy to make.  Delicious Spring/Summer chickpea salad that uses lots of fresh vegetables.

Why you will love this salad

• This beautiful, vibrant chickpea salad has huge Greek and Mediterranean influences.  It’s made with fresh vegetables.   The salad dressing is very simple: olive oil combined with lemon juice.
• The chickpeas (same thing as garbanzo beans) provide protein to this recipe and make it a complete meal!
• It’s gluten-free, vegan, low in fat and healthy.
• The simplest of recipes are truly the best!  It takes only 20 minutes to make it.

This vegetarian chickpea salad reminds me of my other favorite: tomato cucumber avocado salad.  Both salads are packed with fresh veggies and healthy ingredients.

If you want to pair it with a delicious gluten-free main course, try my chicken with sun-dried tomatoes.  If you crave a meal with more carbs, you will be impressed with these easy Italian ravioli.  But, what’s amazing about this meatless chickpea salad is that you don’t even need a main course.  This salad will keep you full thanks to the protein in chickpeas.

It’s a perfect Spring/Summer recipe.  Just take a look at the chickpea salad: so vibrant and colorful!  A great way to enjoy lots of healthy vegetables.   Perfect for picnics, potlucks, and barbecues.  It stores well, refrigerated, up to 3 days.

Make this chickpea salad spicy by adding red pepper flakes and/or minced garlic!

Variations

• Use any kind of fresh tomatoes. Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes will all work!
• Use fresh herbs of your choice. Basil, parsley, cilantro.
• Don’t have red onions? Use chopped green onions.  Or yellow/white onions.  You can even add a small amount of minced garlic!
• Add olives or capers. They add even more Mediterranean touch to the chickpea salad.
• Add marinated artichokes.
• Use Feta cheese.
• Make the chickpea salad spicy by adding red pepper flakes or a touch of Cayenne pepper!

Chickpea salad ingredients

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained (15 oz)

Salad Dressing

The simple dressing is made with olive oil and lemon juice tossed with chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper!
Salad dressing ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 cup parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil, fresh, chopped
• salt and pepper

Easy to make:
In a medium bowl, stir together olive oil, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and chopped fresh basil.

How to make chickpea salad

• In a large bowl combine diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onions, and drained chickpeas.  Add diced avocado.
• In a medium bowl, prepare a simple salad dressing.  Combine olive oil with lemon juice, and chopped fresh herbs (basil and parsley).
• Pour the dressing over the salad.  Toss gently.  Season with salt and pepper.

Other Mediterranean salads

• Greek Pasta Salad with Spinach
• Tomato Avocado Mozzarella Salad
• Greek Tortellini Salad

Recommended Main Courses

• Garlic Lamb Loin Chops
• Lamb Chops with Mustard-Thyme Sauce
• Pesto Chicken and Veggies
• Tomato Basil Artichoke Baked Chicken

Chickpea Salad with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber

Simple Chickpea Salad with Avocado, Tomato, and Cucumber.  This healthy Mediterranean salad is packed with protein, low in fat, is vegan and gluten-free.  Colorful, vibrant, with lots of veggies!  

Chickpea salad

• 2 tomatoes (medium,  diced)
• 1 avocado (diced)
• 1 cucumber (diced)
• 1/4 cup red onion (sliced)
• 15 oz chickpeas (from the can, drained)

Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/4 cup parsley (fresh, chopped)
• 1/4 cup basil (fresh, chopped)
• salt and pepper

1. In a large bowl combine salad ingredients: diced avocado, diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onions, and drained chickpeas.
2. In a medium bowl, combine salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and basil.  Stir to combine.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad.  Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

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