Easy Chickpea & Tomato Salad with Lemon Maple Dressing

Name: Easy Chickpea & Tomato Salad with Lemon Maple Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 (side salads)
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegan, Plant-based, Dairy-free
Ingredients: 240g (400g/14oz tin drained) chickpeas; 1 small red onion, halved, peeled, and finely chopped or sliced; 1 avocado, skin and stone removed, then chopped; ½ cucumber, chopped into small chunks; 6 baby plum tomatoes (or other small, sweet tomatoes), halved; handful of fresh coriander (cilantro, or if you don't like it, use fresh parsley or dill); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ tablespoon maple syrup; 1 clove garlic, crushed; salt & pepper

in avocado, chickpeas, salad, salad dressing - 30 comments

Try this chickpea and tomato salad when you want something fresh, colourful and super easy. It's packed with creamy chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumber and buttery avocado.

Dressed in a simple summery lemon maple dressing, or you could try my Easy Lemon Vinaigrette, or Simple French Dressing.

A simple but delicious chickpea salad, with tomatoes and avocado on a white plate

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Lemon Maple Dressing

This protein-packed chickpea salad is the sort of salad that's perfect for lunch, as a BBQ side, to serve at a picnic, or for those evenings when you want something quick but can't be bothered cooking.

It's super simple to throw together!

I have a bit of a fondness for chickpeas and could easily eat them straight from the tin, they are so buttery and creamy. Have you seen my Chickpea & Carrot Sandwich Recipe?

However, when I want a simple salad, this is the one and it's so worth it.

The combination of the creamy chickpeas, crunch from that cucumber and the zingy dressing coating every bite makes it very satisfying and delicious.

At-A-Glance

⏲️ Ready in: 10 minute

👪 Serves: 4 (as a side salad)

🍽 Calories: 282 per serving

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🧾 Main Ingredients: chickpeas, cherry or plum tomatoes, red onion, avocado, cucumber and a simple lemon dressing

👩🏻‍🍳 Suitable for : dairy-free, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian & gluten-free

Once you've tried this simple but very tasty chickpea salad, you will return to it again and again.

Why You Will Love This Chickpea Salad

It's ready in 15 minutes
There's no cooking required
The chickpeas add protein and keep you fuller
It's dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, plant-based and vegan
Perfect for meal prep and packed lunches
Full of fresh vegetables and plant-based protein
Easy to change, depending on what you have in the fridge

Salad Ingredients

This colourful. plant-based salad is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and a tasty lemon dressing.

You will find the full printable recipe card at the bottom of the page with the full ingredient list, method and notes. Keep reading or use the jump to recipe button.

Chickpea salad ingredients including chickpeas, red onion, avocado, cucumber and mini tomatoes.

Chickpeas - I use canned chickpeas (buy the ones in the World Food Aisle, they are better quality), but you can soak and cook dried chickpeas if that's your thing
Avocado - make sure it's a ripe one, cut in half around the stone, then push the stone out from behind, don't hit a knife blade into it, it's so dangerous
Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) - I didn't add it to the photo as I know a lot of people hate it, you can use fresh parsley or dill instead

salad dressing ingredients including olive oil, lemon, maple syrup and seasoning.

Lemon juice - freshly squeezed lemon juice is best, you don't want an artificial aftertaste in your mouth
Maple syrup - you can use agave nectar instead, but use a bit less as it's very sweet
Herbs - you could add fresh or dried herbs to this dressing

How to Make Chickpea and Tomato Salad

Let me show you just how simple and quick it is to make this fresh salad.

Step 1: Make the Lemon Dressing

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season; it should be well combined.

Step 2: Prepare the Salad

Chop your salad ingredients and add them to a mixing bowl or serving bowl.

Step 3: Add Herbs

Add your fresh herbs and mix in.

Step 4: Toss & Serve

Pour over the salad dressing, toss well until the salad is well coated and then serve.

💭Jac's Top Tip

Crumble some vegan feta over this chickpea (garbanzo bean) salad to make it extra special!

Recipe Tips

Use ripe but firm avocados - apart from feeling for a slightly softer but still firm avocado, you can flip off the little stem bit at the top of the avocado; if it's green underneath, it's unripe, and if it's brown, it should be ripe.
Baby plum tomatoes add sweetness - but you can use cherry tomatoes or any other mini tomato varieties.
If making ahead - add the avocado just before serving, although tossing it in a little lemon juice will help prevent it from browning.
Rinse tinned (canned) chickpeas well - apparently it helps prevent bloating.
For extra protein - add lentils or seeds, or serve with quinoa.
Give it a Mediterranean Twist - salty vegan feta and olives, then sprinkle over some dried oregano. If you love Mediterranean flavours, try this Mediterranean Roast Vegetable Couscous Salad.

Chickpea and tomato salad with vegan feta on a white plate.

What to Serve with Chickpea Salad

This simple salad works brilliantly:

As a light lunch
Alongside veggie burgers or sausages
With grilled vegan halloumi or spiced air-fried tofu
At a picnic or BBQ
In lunch boxes
As part of a mezze with hummus, beetroot and pitta bread or an easy homemade flatbread

Storing Salad

If you're making the salad ahead or storing leftovers, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 days.

Because there is avocado in this salad, it's best eaten fresh, although a squeeze of lemon juice will help prevent the avocado from browning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make chickpea salad ahead of time?

Yes, prepare the salad (minus the avocado) and salad dressing the day before and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Add the avocado before you serve the salad, or toss it in a little lemon juice if you are serving it at lunchtime.

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Absolutely. If you soak and cook dried chickpeas, you will end up with really creamy chickpeas that cost less money.

Is chickpea salad a healthier option?

Chickpea salad has added protein from the chickpeas and nutrients from the salad vegetables, with a little good fat from the olive oil.

More Easy Chickpea Recipes

If you are as obsessed with chickpeas as I am, you might enjoy these recipes.

Lunch Recipes with Chickpeas

If you love a sandwich for lunch, you will probably enjoy these Caesar Chickpea Smashed Sandwiches or Gochujang Smashed Chickpeas Sandwiches.

If you like a bit of pastry, try these Butternut Squash and Chickpea Filo Parcels or these gorgeous Spicy Chickpea Sausage Rolls.

Dinners with Chickpeas

For dinner, you could try this super tasty Chickpea Curry, serve this Chickpea Dirty Rice with spicy bean burgers or make these oven-baked (or air-fried) Chickpea Tacos and serve them with a dressed green salad.

Snacks with Chickpeas

I could happily snack on chickpeas straight out of the can, but if you want to make some tasty snacks using chickpeas, try these Crispy Italian Chickpeas I make in my air fryer, or you can even make a chocolatey snack with chickpeas, Chocolate Chickpea Truffles, and no one would guess there are chickpeas in them.

chickpea salad, garbanzo bean salad, salad, plant-based chickpea salad. vegan chickpeas salad, dairy-free chickpea salad

Lunch, Salad

Mediterranean, Vegan, Plant-based, Dairy-free

Yield: 4 (side salads)

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum