This chickpea avocado salad is a creamy, satisfying lunch you can make in minutes, perfect for easy sandwiches or simple meals without mayo or fuss.
For more easy chickpea salad recipes, check out our chickpea salad sandwich, chickpea cucumber salad, dense chickpea sweet potato salad, and apple chickpea salad.
Why you’ll love this chickpea avocado salad
This chickpea avocado salad is a fresh riff on our popular chickpea salad sandwich recipe that so many of you loved, and one Louise and I keep coming back to at home 🥑. It’s quick to make, deeply satisfying, and flexible enough for real life.
It’s mashed, creamy, and full of texture, with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs, and a tangy dressing made from avocado and Greek yogurt. Together, they create a simple, wholesome replacement for mayo that keeps the salad rich without feeling heavy.
We enjoy it as a dip, tucked into a wrap, or piled into a chickpea salad sandwich, depending on the day 🥪. It travels well and makes lunch feel sorted with very little effort.
With chickpeas, avocado, and yogurt, this salad is fiber-rich and protein-rich, naturally lower in saturated fat, and fits easily into a Mediterranean-style way of eating—simple, balanced, and nourishing 🌿.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Chickpeas: the base of the salad, mashed until chunky for a classic mashed chickpea salad texture. Canned works best; cooked dried chickpeas are fine too.
- Avocado: adds creaminess and richness. If not ripe, use a little extra yogurt and a squeeze of lemon.
- Pickles: bring tang and crunch to balance the creaminess. Dill pickles are our favorite, but sweet pickles, capers, or relish also work.
- Radishes: add freshness and bite. Skip them or swap with thinly sliced cucumber or fennel.
- Celery: gives crunch and a clean flavor. Green apple is a fun alternative.
- Green onion: mild and fresh. Red onion or shallot works if used sparingly.
- Greek yogurt: makes the salad creamy without mayo. Use low-fat Greek yogurt or Skyr for even more protein, or dairy-free yogurt if needed.
- Mustard: adds zip and depth. Dijon, yellow, or whole-grain all work.
- Fresh herbs: we use parsley but chives or dill also work. They brighten everything up. Dried herbs are fine when fresh aren’t available.
How to Make Chickpea Avocado Salad
1. Mash the chickpeas
Add the rinsed chickpeas and the ripe avocado to a mixing bowl.
Mash with a fork or potato masher until chunky and scoopable.
Stop before they turn smooth. Texture is key for a good, healthy chickpea salad.
2. Mix everything together
Add the chopped pickles, radishes, celery, green onion, Greek yogurt, mustard, fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper.
Mix gently until creamy and well combined.
Taste and adjust. A small splash of pickle juice adds brightness.
3. Serve
Spoon the salad into a bowl, wrap, or sandwich. It’s also delicious as a dip.
For a chickpea avocado sandwich, layer lettuce on the bread first, then add the salad and tomato. Toast the bread if you like.
This high-protein vegetarian lunch keeps well in the fridge and is perfect for easy meals during the week.
Tips
- Mash gently: Stop while the chickpeas are still chunky. This keeps the salad scoopable, not pasty.
- Use a ripe avocado: A soft avocado blends smoothly with the yogurt and gives the best creamy texture.
- Start light on salt: Pickles and capers add salt, so season at the end and adjust to taste.
- Add pickle juice if needed: A small splash brightens the flavor and balances the creaminess.
- Chill for better texture: Letting the salad rest in the fridge for 10–15 minutes helps the flavors come together.
- If you are cooking for mixed diets: Serve the salad plain and let everyone add bread, wraps, or grains they prefer at the table.
- Refresh leftovers: Stir in a spoonful of yogurt or a squeeze of lemon if the salad thickens in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This works well as a meal prep–friendly salad. Make it a few hours ahead and give it a quick stir before serving.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to limit browning.
It’s different, but just as creamy. The avocado and yogurt give that familiar richness, making it a great chickpea salad with Greek yogurt.
Absolutely. It’s great in wraps, grain bowls, or as a quick vegetarian sandwich filling.
Yes. They add tang, but the recipe still works without them. Add a little lemon juice instead.
More Healthy Salads to Try
- Greek quinoa salad with chickpeas and lemon dressing
- Mediterranean bulgur salad with chickpeas
- Roasted broccoli salad with butter beans
- Greek bean salad with lemon marinated beans
- Lucky black eyed pea salad
- Mediterranean chopped lentil salad
- Healthy broccoli salad with Greek yogurt
If you try this Chickpea Avocado Salad Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Chickpea Avocado Salad (Creamy with Greek Yogurt)
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained – 15 oz / 400 g can or 1½ cups / 230 g cooked chickpeas
- 1 ripe avocado
- ½ cup pickles finely chopped, dill or regular
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 1 green onion chopped
- ½ cup radishes optional – thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs like parsley, chives, dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon mustard Dijon or yellow
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste + black pepper
Instructions
- Mash the chickpeas: Add 1 can chickpeas (rinsed) and 1 ripe avocado to a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher or sturdy fork until chunky and creamy. Do not mash until smooth.
- Add the rest: Add ½ cup pickles, 1 rib celery, 1 green onion, ½ cup radishes, 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (all chopped), ½ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper.Mix gently until creamy. Taste and adjust. A small splash of pickle juice adds brightness.
- Serve: Enjoy as a dip, in a sandwich, wrap, or bowl.
Notes
- Chickpeas –> white beans, cannellini beans, or mashed lentils
- Avocado –> extra Greek yogurt or hummus
- Greek yogurt –> low-fat Greek yogurt, Skyr, or dairy-free yogurt
- Pickles –> relish, chopped olives, or capers
- Radishes –> cucumber, celery, or fennel
- Celery –> green apple or cucumber
- Green onion –> red onion, shallot, or chives
- Capers –> chopped olives or extra pickles
- Fresh herbs –> dried herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice
- Mash gently: Keep it chunky, not smooth.
- Use ripe avocado: Softer avocado means creamier salad.
- Season last: Pickles add salt, so taste first.
- Brighten it up: A splash of pickle juice helps.
- Chill briefly: 10–15 minutes improves texture.
- Mixed diets: Let everyone choose bread or grains.
- Fix leftovers: Add yogurt or lemon if thickened.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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At first, I thought I liked the other chickpea salad recipe (the one that calls for Greek yogurt and mayo) better. Not the case. I made this last night for the second time with a large avocado, and it was exceptionally delicious and creamy. Definitely add that splash of pickle juice!
Just make this recipe. It’s delicious.
It’s very helpful the substitution for each ingredients. Sometimes we don’t make some recipe, because we don’t have some ingredients. Your substitution are a live change.
Thanks so much.
Love this salad! So many good things coming together to create a yummy flavor. Great with crackers but just as delicious right out of the bowl with a spoon. Actually, a bit addictive. 😀
We just had this with dinner. No pickles or radishes, but I used deli mustard (my husband’s favorite). I added a little rice vinegar in lieu of lemon juice. It was DELICIOUS, and was a great ending to a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Thank you!!
That’s wonderful, Anna, I’m so happy this worked as a Valentine’s Day dish 🥳
Thank you for sharing your tweaks here, and for taking the time to comment. All the best,
Louise
Very nice
Wow!!! My husband found this recipe and sent it to me yesterday. I made it this afternoon and was so blown away! It was easy to make – so fresh and delicious! I am already making plans to go back to the store to pick up ingredients to make another batch!
Amazing, D! I love that your husband sourced the recipe for you 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, I’m delighted that this is a repeater. All the best to you both,
Louise
Thank you for sharing your recipes l. we are most appreciative.
What happens if we omit the yogurt??
We are helping a couple who have health concerns and need to lose weight. So we are doing SOS free. We desperately need food that is healthy as possible and help them lose weight as fast as safely possible
Sure, if you omit the yogurt, the salad will still work — it will just be a bit less creamy.
You can add a little extra mashed avocado and a splash of lemon juice to help bring everything together. The flavors will still be delicious. I hope that helps. All the best,
Louise
So delicious and feels like a lighter and veg version of tuna salad! Even the picker eater at home ate a ton 🙂
That’s a huge win — especially with a picky eater 😉
So glad it worked for your family. Thank you for coming back to share your experience. Best,
Louise
This was so quick and easy! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. The only thing I didn’t have was fresh dill so I had to used dried.
Another great recipe that will go into my weekly rotation.
Dried dill works perfectly here, Brandi 🙂 I’m so glad it turned out well and made it into your weekly rotation.
Thanks so much for taking the time to come back to comment. All the best, Louise
Very tasty. It is healthy and no mayonnaise is a plus. Creamy & crunchy and delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kathy! Creamy and light was exactly what we were going for.
Thanks so much for trusting the recipe and giving it a review. Kindest,
Louise