Backdoor Spiced Chickpea Salad with Avocado Dressing

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-03-30 · Updated 2026-03-30

A hearty salad with spiced chickpeas, cucumbers, and a creamy avocado dressing that's both rich and refreshing. This middle eastern-inspired salads (vegetarian) ready in about 15 minutes blends (15 oz), drained and rinsed chickpeas, medium, diced cucumber, finely chopped red onion into a versatile sauce that lifts everything from grain bowls and roasted vegetables to grilled proteins — a small-batch staple worth keeping in the fridge. Each serving lands at about 290 calories and feeds 4, so a small batch covers several meals across the week without taking over the fridge. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz), drained and rinsed chickpeas
• 1 medium, diced cucumber
• 1/2, finely chopped red onion
• 1, mashed avocado
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a bowl, combine chickpeas, cucumber, and red onion. In a separate bowl, mash avocado and mix with lime juice, honey, cumin, coriander, olive oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.
2. Step 2: Pour the dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss until well coated. Chill for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold.