Chickpea Feta Avocado Salad (Printable Version)
Protein-packed Mediterranean salad with chickpeas, avocado, feta, and fresh lemon dressing.
# What You 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
# Directions:
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 and chopped fresh parsley and mint to the bowl, tossing gently to distribute evenly.
03 - In a small mixing 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 extra herbs or additional crumbled feta if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee, and somehow tastes like you spent an hour on it.
- The contrast of creamy avocado against firm chickpeas and salty feta keeps every bite interesting.
02 -
- Once dressed, the avocado starts oxidizing and the greens begin to wilt, so this is a salad best assembled and eaten within the hour.
- If you are prepping ahead, keep the dressing in a separate jar and the avocado whole until right before serving.
03 -
- Rub the dried oregano between your palms directly over the dressing bowl so the fragrant oils fall right in rather than scattering across your counter.
- Taste a crumble of your feta before adding salt to the dressing, because some feta is aggressively salty and you cannot undo an oversalted salad.