Chickpeas and Avocado Salad (Easy Make Ahead Salad)

This Chickpea Avocado Salad has all the traditional elements of a great guacamole and makes a healthy, protein and fiber-filled dish that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Plus, it comes together easily in just 10 minutes!

Looking for more quick and easy side dish, colorful salad recipes? Give my Mexican Street Corn Salad, Radicchio Salad with Olives & Parmesan, and Cauliflower Salad with Roasted Chickpeas & Quinoa a try too!

Extreme close up shot of chickpea salad.

When I make a bowl of guacamole the tortilla chips are optional.

I could eat it by the spoonful. Same thing with my quick & easy 5-minute salsa

I’m only a “carb-person” when it comes to pasta.

When it comes to chips, bread, potatoes or rice, I could take or leave them.

Salsa without the chips? You could almost consider that a salad of sorts… But, the guac? That’s kind of gross, right? (Not to me.)

In an effort to make my habit of eating guacamole by the spoonful more socially acceptable (and healthy), I turned it into a salad. An absolutely amazing, creamy, tangy, spicy Guacamole Salad that I’ll eat any day of the week. I mean, it’s seriously SO good.

I’m using all the traditional ingredients that go into a great guacamole – plenty of avocado, fresh squeezed lime juice, cumin, jalapenos, and cilantro. Then, I’m turning it into an eat-by-the-huge-spoonful salad by adding chickpeas and a sprinkling of cotija cheese.

Seriously – lunch just got way more exciting.

Ingredients for chickpea salad on countertop.

Ingredients needed

  • Avocado
  • Chickpeas
  • Shallots
  • Lime Juice
  • Cumin – Or, try one of these cumin substitutes.
  • Cayenne
  • Cotija Cheese
  • Jalapeno
  • Cilantro

Most often, I’ll just use canned chickpeas for this recipe. However, if you have one, I love making chickpeas in the instant pot! They turn out so tasty, and they’re super budget-friendly with no soaking necessary.

Quick note on the cotija. Cotija is a Mexican cheese that crumbles easily and has a nice tang to it. Look for it in your local market next to the packaged cheeses. If you can’t find it, feel free to substitute feta in its place – It’ll be equally as delicious!

Another bonus? This healthy guacamole salad comes together in just short of ten minutes. It’s a quick way to add some protein, fiber and healthy fats to your diet. Plus, it will keep you full and energized throughout your busy day.

Overhead close up of bowl of avocado salad with chickpeas.

How to make it

  • Combine avocado, chickpeas and shallot in a bowl.
  • Mix up spices and sprinkle them over salad ingredients.
  • Add lime juice and jalapenos and toss to combine.
  • Serve immediately and top with cilantro and cotija cheese.

Variations

Looking to swap up the flavors a bit? Give these variations a try:

  • Protein: Make it a full meal by adding shrimp, chicken, or steak.
  • Beans: Swap out the chickpeas for black beans, white beans or kidney beans.
  • Quinoa: Make this salad even more hearty by adding in the quinoa. (Have you tried making quinoa in the instant pot?)
  • Vegan chickpea salad: Leave out the cheese to make this salad vegan.

Wine pairings

  • Look for white wines with grassy, herbal notes – Try a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, or dry Riesling.
Hand holding spoon digging into salad.

More salad recipes

More chickpea recipes

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Hand holding bowl of chickpea salad.

Avocado Chickpea Salad

This Chickpeas and Avocado Salad has all the traditional elements of a great guacamole and makes a healthy, protein and fiber-filled dish that’s perfect for lunch or dinner. Plus, it comes together easily in just 10 minutes!
5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

Dressing:

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
  • Add chickpeas, avocado, jalapenos and shallot to a large bowl. Pour dressing over this mixture and toss gently to combine.
  • Top with cotija cheese and cilantro and serve.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 28.1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1.1mg

This post was originally published in 2021. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The avocado chickpea recipe remains the same. Enjoy!

19 thoughts on “Chickpeas and Avocado Salad (Easy Make Ahead Salad)”

  1. Oh man this looks delicious. Though when I first looked at the pic I thought, “Oh I’d love to dig in there with some sturdy tortilla chips!” 😉 Though I’m sure it’s just as tasty going carb-free without the chips as a serving utensil!
    Sauv blanc is a great choice too. Love it for dishes heavy in lime or other citrus flavors!

    Reply
    • Hi Christine – I would add 1/4 tsp. of cayenne if you really like a lot of heat. Without it, there is still a good heat level because of the jalapeno. And, jalapenos can vary quite a bit in their heat level. I would taste it first without the cayenne, and then add some if you’d like to kick it up a bit. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. This was so yummy and my family loved it, BUT…..It says it is 176 calories, but when I entered all the ingredients and divided it by 4 servings it came out as 469 calories. I’m so sad!!!! Please tell me what went wrong. A cup of chickpeas is 228 calories, so it does seem the calculation is off. Please help.

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    This is one of the best summer recipes to make. It’s so quick, easy, and delicious. I brought it to a friend’s potluck and had a few people reach out to ask for the recipe. YUMMY! Also, echoing Julie, I calculated about 315 calories per serving. Still not bad though!

    Reply
  4. This looks very tasty, but the nutrition info may need to be revisited. My calculations arrived at over 570 calories per serving, while yours comes in just over 170. BIG difference, and I believe the higher number due to the amount of avocado and cheese.

    Reply
  5. 5 stars
    My whole family loved this salad! I had to substitute with
    (queso blanco) “white cheese”, and it was delicious! this one is going straight to my recipe box and I will make it again for sure. Thank you!

    Reply

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