Chickpea Feta Avocado Salad (Printable)
Fresh Mediterranean salad with chickpeas, feta, avocado, and zesty lemon dressing. Ready in 15 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables & Legumes
01 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 large avocado, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - ¼ small red onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
→ Dairy
07 - 3.5 oz feta cheese, crumbled
→ Fresh Herbs
08 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
09 - 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
12 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
13 - ½ tsp dried oregano
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Steps:
01 - In a large salad bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion, and baby spinach or mixed greens.
02 - Add the crumbled feta cheese, chopped parsley, and mint (if using) to the bowl.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well emulsified.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated without mashing the avocado.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional herbs or extra crumbled feta if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Zero cooking means you can throw this together while still in your work clothes and call it dinner without shame.
- The combination of creamy avocado and salty feta with the lemon dressing is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people ask for the recipe at potlucks.
02 -
- Avocado oxidizes quickly, so if you are making this ahead, wait to dice the avocado and add the lemon dressing until right before serving.
- Underdressing is better than overdressing because you can always drizzle more oil and lemon on top, but you cannot undo a soggy salad.
03 -
- Rinsing canned chickpeas under cold water until no foam remains removes the canned taste and gives them a cleaner, nuttier flavor.
- Letting the dressed salad sit for five minutes before eating allows the flavors to marry, but do not wait longer than twenty or the greens will collapse.