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    Home » Recipes » Main Courses

    Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad

    Published: May 12, 2022 by Sherri Hall · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Pin showing sandwich on a plate with text title overlay.
    This simple smashed chickpea avocado salad is great for sandwiches, wraps, or enjoying on top of a bed of greens. This easy lunch is mayo-free and naturally vegan too!
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this chickpea salad recipe
    • Watch the chickpea and avocado salad video
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make avocado chickpea salad
    • Variations
    • Ideas for serving smashed chickpea salad with avocado
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More vegan lunch recipes
    • Chickpea Avocado Salad
    Sandwich sliced in half laying on a plate.

    Why you'll love this chickpea salad recipe

    • Healthy salad recipe
    • Simple salad that takes just minutes to make and perfect for when you need a quick lunch
    • No need for olive oil or any other oil as the avocado is what makes it smooth and creamy and provides healthy fats
    • Don't need for a food processor or any fancy equipment to make it

    Watch the chickpea and avocado salad video

    Ingredients you'll need

    •     Canned Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    •     Ripe Avocado
    •     Fresh Chives
    •     Lemon Juice (lime juice works too!)
    •     Salt
    •     Pepper

    Find measurements in the recipe card below.

    Two pieces of sandwich stacked on top of each other on a plate.

    How to make avocado chickpea salad

    Drain the can of chickpeas into a mesh strainer and rinse them.

    If you’d like, you can remove the skins from the chickpeas.

    This will give them a more creamy texture, but it’s not necessary.

    Add the chickpeas to a mixing bowl.

    Overhead view of chickpeas in a mixing bowl.

    Mash with a potato masher or fork, leaving some chunks/whole chickpeas intact. 

    Overhead view of smashed chickpeas in a mixing bowl.

    Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. 

    Remove the peel and add the two avocado halves to the mashed chickpeas.

    Avocado slices on smashed chickpeas in a bowl.

    Combine chickpeas and avocado together by mashing with the potato masher or fork.

    Smashed avocado mixed into chickpeas in a bowl.

    Add the chives, salt, and pepper and stir.

    Stir in lemon juice.

    Avocado mixed into chickpeas in a bowl overhead view.

    Variations

    Try adding: 

    • Feta Cheese or Vegan Feta cheese
    • Scallions
    • Shelled Sunflower Seeds or Pumpkin Seeds (adds a little crunch but also some additional protein)
    • Lemon Zest (for some more zing)
    • Red Pepper Flakes (for some heat)
    • Garlic Powder
    • Fresh Parsley (or other fresh herbs of choice)

    Ideas for serving smashed chickpea salad with avocado

    It's best to enjoy this easy chickpea salad on the same day you are making eat.

    You can either meal prep it in the morning or whip up this meal right before serving with little stress.

    I like to make it and then give it about 10-15 minutes in the fridge to incorporate all of the flavors before serving but you can eat it right away too. 

    You can serve it as is on your bread of choice (gluten-free if needed) to make a chickpea avocado salad sandwich.

    It's great with your favorite sandwich toppings such as red onion, tomato, leafy greens, etc.

    It's also great on a wrap or or atop a bed of mixed greens

    Chickpea sandwich on a plate cut in two.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are some of the health benefits of chickpeas?

    Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are known to have the following health benefits:
    -High in protein
    -Packed with fiber (helping you feel fuller for longer)
    -Low glycemic index (which can help with blood sugar regulation)
    -High in magnesium and potassium

    How do you know if the avocados are ripe?

    A great way to tell if avocados are ripe is that they are a little bit soft. Firm avocados need a few more days to taste their best. Remember: your goal is a tasty, creamy avocado that can blend well with the rest of these simple ingredients.

    Whole Chickpea Avocado sandwich on a plate.

    More vegan lunch recipes

    • Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
    • Chickpea Salad with Olives and Walnuts
    • Best Vegan Sandwiches
    Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich on a plate.
    Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    5 from 2 votes

    Chickpea Avocado Salad

    This simple smashed chickpea avocado salad is great for sandwiches, wraps, or enjoying on top of a bed of greens. This easy lunch is mayo-free and naturally vegan too!
    Course lunch
    Cuisine American, Gluten-Free, Vegan, vegetarian
    Keyword avocado, chickpeas, dairy-free, egg free, gluten free, sandwich, vegan, vegetarian
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 10 minutes
    Servings 2 -3
    Calories 350kcal
    Author Sherri Hall

    Ingredients

    • 1 (15 oz.) can, no salt added chickpeas (drained and rinsed; *skins removed if desired)
    • 1 ripe avocado (pitted and peeled)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
    • fine sea salt or kosher salt to taste
    • freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Add the chickpeas to a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork, leaving some chunks/whole chickpeas intact. 
    • Add the avocado to the mashed chickpeas.
    • Blend avocado and chickpeas together by mashing with the potato masher or fork.
    • Add the chives, salt, and pepper and stir.
    • Stir in lemon juice.

    (Please refer to the post above for instructional photographs and other helpful information for this recipe)

    Notes

    *To remove the skin from a chickpea, gently rub it between your thumb and pointer finger until the skin pops off. This step is optional, but makes the chickpeas more creamy.
    The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fiber: 16g

    ©Watch Learn Eat. All content and images are copyright protected. Recipes and photos are not to be used or republished without prior permission. If you adapt this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, and link back to this post for the original recipe.

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    About Sherri

    Founder, Author, Recipe Developer, & Photographer

    With a lifelong passion for cooking, I specialize in creating easy meatless meals that are omnivore-approved!

    Learn more about me

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