This Cucumber Avocado Salad has the most delicious spicy crispy chickpeas in them! A nutritionally balanced salad to take to work for lunch or enjoy for dinner (preferably outside and with friends).
If you’ve been following along for a while you know I’m basically OBSESSED with avocados. Think Avocado Egg Salad or Avocado Spinach Smoothie just to name a few.
I simply cannot get enough of creating recipes with this amazing fruit. Today I thought it’d be great to pair Cucumber and Avocado and see what goes well with that.
After trying cajun seasoning for the first time I dreamed about coating some chickpeas in similar spices and roast them to make them spicy. You cannot imagine how amazing this tastes in a salad. It’s like adding spicy chips to your salad but without making it unhealthy.
How to Make Spicy Crispy Chickpeas for Cucumber Avocado Salad
You need either homecooked or canned chickpeas. Drain them, rinse them, drain them well well well and then lay them out on paper towel and dab with another piece of paper towel to make them super dry.
The wetter the chickpeas, the softer they will be when you roast them. The dryer, the crispier.
Add your favorite spices to a bowl. To keep it super easy you could buy ready made Cajun Seasoning and just add a good amount to the bowl. If you’re more like me and already have all the spices of the world in your cupboard you might as well make your own mix.
Either way, add a bit of oil to the spices until you reach a creamy sticky consistency that will adhere to your chickpeas. Add those in and toss well until they are all coated.
Roast in the oven until crispy and tadaaaaa. You can even eat those as a snack. Trust me though, they are best used for your Cucumber Avocado Salad. The crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado are simply amazing with this!
How long can I store Cucumber and Avocado Salad
We all know avocado turns brown faster than any other fruit. Yes, even faster than Banana :(
However, there are a couple of tricks to keep it fresh longer.
- Avocado browns because of air (oxygen). So the trick is to keep air away as good as possible. Once you cut it open and the skin doesn’t protect it anymore, store it in an airtight container. And with air-tight I mean REALLY air tight. Not those storage containers with loose lids. Rather the ones that have the rubber thingy around the edge of the lid to seal well.
- Another way to keep it from browning is toss it in some sort of acid. Be it lemon or vinegar, as soon as possible.
Still, you’ll have to eat the salad within 12 hours (better 6). So it’s best prepared in the morning to take to work the same day or max the night before.
You can also always mix together all ingredients and take a small avocado uncut to work and only cut open minutes before eating. The absolute best storage container for an avocado is and will always be it’s own skin.
Cucumber Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried onion
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- pepper - optional
- 2 dollops avocado oil
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 English cucumber
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- sea salt
- pepper
- lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Add all spices to a bowl and whisk, then add avocado oil and mix well until creamy.
- Add cooked chickpeas to spice mix and coat well.
- The coated chickpeas go into the preheated oven on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Wash and dice cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro. Deseed, peel and dice avocado and add all to a large mixing bowl.
- Once chickpeas have cooled down you can add to salad and season with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and lime juice to taste.
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Jillian says
This was delicious!! The seasoning on the chick peas was amazing, I could eat them just as is without any of the other parts, but added to the combo of the rest of the ingredients it was delicious.
Karen says
Agree 100%! You either like cilantro or you don’t and for me it’s a big no!
Kathy says
This is so yummy and versatile! Just had it for dinner and will definitely make again. I not only drained the chickpeas but took all the skins off – thinks it makes it more crunchy.
Lorena says
Yes! Absolutely! Taking the skins off helps a lot.
Bobbie Brune says
Those chick peas look like garbanzo beans. Are they the same thing?
Lorena says
Yes, it’s the same. “Chickpeas” is English “garbanzos” is Spanish.
AP says
Is it ok to use canned chickpeas?
Lorena says
Yes, of course. No problem at all.
Nikki says
Had no cilantro used basil. This was delish!
Nikki says
I was wondering if this would work. Dont like cilantro, but want to try it!
Ellen says
We have a winner! My grocery was out of cilantro so I subbed parsley instead. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you. The spiced chickpeas add so much flavour. I could see adding cubed chicken to this as well.
Lorena says
I’m so happy you liked it Ellen. Yes chicken sounds wonderful in it :)
Barbara Silver says
If you want the recipe to be truly healthy, don’t use onion or garlic salt. Use the real onions and garlic. I don’t know why recipes would even do this.
Audrey Smith says
some may not be able to eat onion, but still want the flavor or onion/garlic
Vivian says
Delicious, loved it!!!
Beverly Bender says
Thanks for a new way to get protein and eat avocado I will give it a try.
Thanks again Mrs.Bee
Judy Smitley says
How many servings is this? I’m on Weight Watchers.
Lorena says
Hi Judy, as the recipe card states. This salad is intended for 2 people, so 2 servings.
Michel says
Can I use Extra Virgin Olive oil instead of the avocado oil?
Lorena says
Evoo isn’t the best oil for roasting because its smoke point is pretty low and burns in the oven at 400F. Avocado oil as a much higher smoke point and is fairly tasteless so it’s great for roasting anything. Any tasteless oil with high smoke-point will work though.
Kris says
Awesome stuff!
I used red bell pepper and added chopped mango. This is a keeper.
Nidhi says
Hi Lorena
I’m looking to buy 21 day vegetarian meal plan ebook. Is it still available to purchase?
Lorena says
Hi Nidhi, yes it is :) In the menu of my website you can find the sales page titled “21-Day Meal Plans”
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Janice says
I would leave the Cilantro out because it makes me gag, but the rest looks yummy. I have always felt cilantro should be optional or served on the side. You either like it or you don’t. I have read that it goes 50/50. I have also sent dishes back at restaurants if it wasn’t mentioned in the ingredients & served with a dish. I don’t like to have to pick cilantro out of my food.