Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Style Dressing

This was the first thing I made when I got home from a vacation – I knew all my body wanted was vegetables. Delicious vegetables, but still vegetables, and a ton of them. Whenever I feel nutrient-depleted, I always turn to a vibrant vegetarian meal, and this Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Style Dressing hits the spot every time. And yes! I know the name is a mouthful! But so is the salad, so sue me.

Bad jokes aside, this avocado chickpea salad accomplishes what I think we all want in our lunches or easy meal-prep, which is simple, filling, and nutritious. While all of my recipes tend to have a flavor-first spin on them, I do try to keep practical eating in mind, so I love that many of these ingredients repeat in the dressing and the salad, making your grocery shopping easy and your assembly easy, too.

Why to make this avocado chickpea salad

There are lots of reasons to love this salad, but my best arguments are:

• Great for a plant-based meal prep: This recipe has a higher-protein dressing (while still being delicious) and it keeps phenomenally well in the fridge. It only makes two servings, but have one for dinner and save the next for lunch!
• Two large, filling servings: Chickpeas add a satisfying bulk to this recipe, while avocado lends healthy fats to keep you fuller longer. Cucumber is there for crunch, but also provides some much-needed volume.
• Micronutrient-heavy: It doesn’t feel like a chore to eat, but with all the herbs and colors of the rainbow, this is surprisingly micronutrient-dense!
• Easy to customize with what you have: Adjust the heat, herbs, or toppings based on what you have on hand. This is a fridge-friendly meal!

Now, what is tzatziki? And how is this dressing similar?

Tzatziki is a classic Mediterranean sauce made with Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs like dill or mint. It’s traditionally served as a cooling condiment in Greek cuisine, often alongside grilled meats, pita, or other additional dips.

The roots of tzatziki can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, where variations of this yogurt-cucumber sauce appeared across the region. Today, it remains a beloved dip or dressing throughout Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East, offering a cool and creamy contrast to spicy or savory dishes. I love its ability to be both refreshing and acidic, it’s nicely balanced that way.

In this salad, I’ve taken inspiration from traditional tzatziki, with a few variations like chilies and grating the cucumber instead of chopping it. It’s very much a thinned-out version of the original condiment, with a bit more acid to cut through the rest of the salad!

The steps for this Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Style Dressing

This recipe is nicely streamlined, meaning the only real cooking starts at the end, and it’s remarkably fast.

First, make the tzatziki-style dressing

This is all made in one large bowl so that you can just toss the vegetables over the top of the dressing and mix.

• Start with 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, and the juice of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons).
• Use a rasp-style grater or microplane to grate in 2 garlic cloves directly into the bowl.
• Dice up a jalapeño (seeds removed) and add it in along with 1/4 cup each of chopped mint and cilantro.
• Use the same rasp-style grater from the garlic to grate half of a Persian cucumber and stir it in—this adds more moisture to the dressing, which will thin it out. It also adds a nice freshness similar to traditional tzatziki.
• Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Whisk into a dressing, taste and season as needed!

Next, prep and add the vegetables

The vegetables go right on top of the dressing, but don’t mix yet – that will keep everything fresh.

Toast the chickpeas

This happens near the end so that the chickpeas keep a nice mouthfeel – if you toast them and leave them out for too long, they risk eating a little dry.

• Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil—enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Once the oil has had a minute to warm up, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, ground coriander, and Aleppo pepper. Let them sizzle in the oil for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1 drained and rinsed can of chickpeas. Stir to coat the chickpeas evenly in the spiced oil and let them toast for 3-4 minutes. You want them golden, but not drying out.
• Season with 1/2 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt and give them a taste—add more salt if you like!

Assemble the salad

Now it’s time to bring everything together:

• Pour the warm chickpeas into the bowl with the cucumbers, avocado, and herbs.
• Add half of the 1/3 cup of pickled red onions for a tangy pop.
• Gently toss everything together with tongs or a large spoon, this helps keep the avocado in chunks and not mashed into everything.

Toast the Pita Bread

You can do this either in the same pan you toasted the chickpeas, or in the oven or toaster oven! It usually is pretty fast, about 2 minutes in the pan over medium heat.

Then serve!

Ingredient Substitutions & Variations

This salad is super flexible! Here are some easy swaps to suit your pantry or taste preferences:

• Greek Yogurt: If you don’t have Greek yogurt, skyr or labneh will also work! Err on the side of thicker yogurt substitutes, since a thin one may give you a watery dressing.
• No jalapeño? No worries! Any chili will do just fine, from a birdseye chili, a small cherry bomb, a Calabrian chili, or even 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper will work.
• Herbs: If you don’t have (or don’t like) mint or cilantro, you can swap them for parsley, dill, chives, or basil!
• Chickpeas: Any white bean will work here, edamame is also a great sub! If you are sensitive to beans, we also love grilled tofu, plant-based sausage, or grilled cubed chicken in its place.
• Spices: No Aleppo pepper? Substitute with red pepper flakes or sumac. No cumin seeds? Ground cumin is completely fine 🙂
• Pickled red onion: This can be made in a pinch, but if you don’t have the time, any pickled element will do! Think preserved lemon (sliced), pickled carrots or radishes, anything for a crunchy, briny pop.
• Cucumbers: You can swap this for any crunchy green vegetable, like kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, etc. But regular cucumbers are probably my favorite swap to suggest!
• Pita: Any bread you like or any rice you like make a great stand-in if you don’t have pita on hand!

Storage and make-ahead suggestions

This recipe is sturdy, so it can easily store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I suggest portioning out the recipe into two air-tight containers with the dressing at the bottom, then just shaking up the salad when you are ready to eat it!

Of course, store your pita (or whatever carb you are serving this with) separately so that you get peak freshness in this Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Inspired Dressing.

Looking for similar recipes?

I have many bean-based salads that I love directing people to on the blog! Here are a few favorites:

And that’s all for this Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Style Dressing! If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3