Chickpea Avocado Salad

Mash together chickpeas, avocado, and a handful of veggies in this 15-minute chickpea avocado salad! This vegan sandwich is mayo-free, vegan, and super satisfying.

If you're a fan of chickpea salad but you're not a fan of mayo, or if you just want to try something different for lunch, chickpea avocado salad is for you!

This is the kind of recipe that I love making for a week of work lunches.

Just mash up the avocado with chickpeas, spices and a few other ingredients and you have yourself a creamy and filling lunch or dinner. I like to serve chickpea salad on sandwiches but it's also perfect in wraps, on salads, or with crackers!

Main ingredients

• Chickpeas: Use two cans of chickpeas, or about three cups. Chickpea salad can also be made with white beans!
• Avocado: I use two medium avocados. One large avocado or three small avocados will yield similar results. Test if the avocado is ripe by pressing lightly on the outer skin. If it gives slightly, it should be ready.
• Spices & seasonings: Mustard powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper are my go-to chickpea salad seasonings. You can also add freshly chopped herbs and a dash of hot sauce for additional flavor.
• Chopped veggies: Finely chopped celery, carrots, and red onion add flavor and texture to this otherwise soft mash. You can also add chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, etc.
• "Add-ins" like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds make this meal more nutritious and flavorful.

Step by step instructions

Start by mashing the chickpeas and avocado with the seasonings. You can use a potato masher or fork to mash the chickpeas and avocado together. The riper the avocado, the easier it will be to mash.

Now all you have to do is stir in the veggies and optional add-ins. That's it! Taste for seasonings. Chickpea salad is best served chilled.

Chickpea salad tips

• Texture: For a completely "smashed" salad, just keep mashing until smooth instead of leaving a few pieces of whole chickpeas.
• Canned chickpeas can be hard to mash. To make the process easier, simply simmer the chickpeas in about a cup of liquid for 5-10 minutes. Drain off the liquid and mash the chickpeas.
• To make chopping quicker: Speed up the vegetable prep by chopping the onion, carrot, and celery in the food processor instead of by hand. You can also add the chickpeas to a food processor and process to break it down more quickly.
• Chickpea salad color: If you've ever refrigerated leftover guacamole then you know that avocados are prone to browning. This is a natural process due to oxidization. This chickpea avocado salad contains lemon juice to slow the oxidation process, but leftovers will not be as vibrant after the first day.

Recipe FAQ

Serving ideas

• Sandwich: Add lettuce, tomato and your bread of choice for an easy lunch.
• Snack: Pair with crackers or carrots for an easy snack or appetizer. You can also spread it on a slice of toast for a snack.
• Salad: Serve on top of spinach or romaine with tahini dressing.

More vegetarian lunch ideas:

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