Simple Vegan Chickpea Salad with Avocado
This Vegan Chickpea Salad is creamy, fresh, and packed with texture from mashed chickpeas and avocados, shredded carrots, celery, and green onions. It’s a simple, no-cook recipe that comes together in minutes and works as a dip, sandwich filling, or easy lunch.
This healthy vegan chickpea salad also gets a flavor boost from cumin and smoked paprika. It’s great for sharing and you can eat it however you like, whether it be with crackers, on toast, in lettuce warps, or get it ready for meal prep for the week.
Pull Up A Chair
Rachel: I love a good dip, especially one that’s super simple like this and requires zero cooking.
Emily: This is a great option for anyone who gets overwhelmed by more complicated recipes. It’s easy to make and really good.
Before You Start
- Read the recipe fully first.
- Prep the ingredients ahead of time.
- Have a bowl for veggie peels/scraps nearby for easier cleanup later.
- Don’t stress too much! It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Make it your own! Improvising is totally allowed.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Chickpea Salad
Some of the best things about this chickpea avocado salad start with the ease of making it.
- No blender or food processor required – all you need is a mixing bowl and a fork.
- Super healthy and hearty – chickpeas (or garbanzo beans, if you’d rather call them that), are packed with fiber, protein, and other nutrients. The carrots, celery, and avocado bring additional vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.
- Naturally dairy-free and egg-free – we like to keep this simple with as many plant-based ingredients as we can fit in.
- Chickpea salad without mayo – we found that with the avocado there was no need for mayo here, just a touch of olive oil to loosen things up.
- Ready in under 20 minutes – all you need to do is chop, mash, and mix.
- Great for snacks, lunches, and gatherings – use it however fits your fancy!
- Meal-prep friendly – everything but the avocado mixes up great in advance, and we prefer to add avocado right before serving for best results. Still, the touch of lemon juice does help to keep the avocado from turning brown too quickly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The Mashed Chickpea Base
- Chickpeas – canned, drained, and rinsed.
- Avocado – we use 2 whole avocados here to really drive the flavor. One we mash in with the avocados, and one we leave diced for textural variety.
Crunchy Vegetables
- Shredded carrots – we shred these on the fine side of a box grater for easier distribution in the salad. They provide a little sweetness and depth.
- Celery – the extra little crunch from diced celery is so important to this dish.
- Green onions – adds a little savory punchy flavor to round things out.
Spices & Flavor
- Cumin – warm and earthy.
- Smoked paprika – smokey, woodsy, and peppery.
- Salt + pepper – seasoning to balance.
- Lemon juice – just a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything.
How to Make Vegan Chickpea Salad with Avocado
Make the mashed chickpea base. Drain and rinse chickpeas, then using a fork or potato masher, mash the chickpeas. (Pro tip: leave some of the chickpeas partially mashed for better texture.) Add one avocado and mash in with the chickpeas.
Add the crunch veggies. Fold in shredded carrots and diced celery and onions.
Mix in the spices, flavorings, and second avocado. Stir in the spices, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Dice and gently fold in the second avocado. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
How to Serve Vegan Chickpea Salad
One of the reasons we love this vegan chickpea avocado salad is because it can be served and enjoyed in a number of ways. Is it a salad, a dip, or a sandwich filling? It can be anything you want! Some of our favorite ways to use it:
- As a dip or spread for crackers
- On lightly toasted sourdough as a sandwich
- In lettuce wraps
- Stuffed into pita bread
- Scooped over mixed greens and even tossed with a mild vinaigrette
- As a side salad
Our Tips for the Best Chickpea Salad
Storage and Meal Prep
How to store: this chickpea salad is best served fresh, but you can keep leftovers sealed in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. Note: this dip does not freeze well.
Meal prep: mix all of the ingredients together except the avocados. When you’re ready to serve/eat this chickpea salad, mash one avocado and mix it in, then mix in a diced avocado too. While the lemon in the recipe helps to keep the avocado from browning somewhat, it’s best to add the avocados right before serving for the best and freshest flavor.
FAQs: Vegan Chickpea Dip
Simple Vegan Chickpea Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 15.5 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 can
- 1 carrot, finely grated about ½ cup
- 2 celery stalks, diced about ½ cup
- 3 green onions diced
- 2 Hass avocados divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas, then using a fork or potato masher, mash the chickpeas. Pro tip: leave some of the chickpeas partially mashed for better texture.15.5 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Add one avocado and mash it in with the chickpeas. Note: you'll add the second avocado later.2 Hass avocados
- Fold in shredded carrots and diced celery and onions.1 carrot, finely grated, 2 celery stalks, diced, 3 green onions
- Stir in the spices, salt and pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice.1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil
- Dice and gently fold in the second avocado.2 Hass avocados
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve with crackers, chips, veggies, or on toasted bread.
Notes
- Don’t over-mash. We like the extra texture you get when the chickpeas aren’t over-mashed.
- Add the second diced avocado in at the end so you don’t overmix and can still get creamy bites.
- Dice veggies small for better scoopability and shred carrots on the smaller side of a box grater.
- Don’t skip the citrus. Add a squeeze of lemon to prevent the avocados from browning and to provide a little brightness.
Final Thoughts
This vegan chickpea salad is a super simple recipe for anyone looking for a healthy dip without the overwhelm. It’s easy to put together and packed with nutrients and fresh flavor. It’s also a great option if you’re looking to build your confidence in the kitchen because it doesn’t require any fancy techniques or any cooking at all. If you made this recipe, let us know how it went by rating it and commenting below, or tagging us on Instagram!
If You Love This Recipe, Check These Out Too!
- This super easy vegan Lentil Salad with a cilantro curry dressing.
- Our weeknight-friendly Easy Miso Soup that’s loaded with veggies and tofu
- If you only have 10 minutes, then you can make this super simple Cucumber Avocado Salad!
- It’s not vegan, but our Creamy Chipotle Corn Dip is packed with big, bold flavors and fresh ingredients!
