Need a simple salad for a busy weekday? Make this creamy chickpea salad that combines chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, and onion with an avocado yogurt dressing inspired by Indian avocado raita. This creamy avocado base makes it different from my other Indian salad recipes.
Mashed avocado adds body, while thick yogurt keeps the dressing creamy. This is also a reliable busy-weekday meal when I already have cooked chickpeas or a can of chickpeas ready. The method is simple, so beginners can make it confidently.
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How My Avocado Raita Became This Salad's Dressing
This dressing started as a shortcut. I usually make a full batch of avocado raita for dal or rice, and one day I set aside half before stirring in the onion and cucumber. I poured that creamy raita half over chickpeas instead, and it worked beautifully as a salad dressing. Keeping the cucumber and tomato out until the end also helps the salad stay thick.
If you like yogurt-based dressings on salads, this roasted tofu salad with Indian yogurt dressing uses a similar idea with tofu. For another fresh chickpea option, try my spicy Indian chickpeas salad.
Happy Cooking!
-Sravanthi
How to Make Creamy Chickpea Salad
Step 1: Mash the avocado.
Step 2: Add the yogurt, cumin powder, salt if needed, black salt, green chili, coriander leaves, and lemon juice to the mashed avocado.
Step 3: Mix the ingredients until you have a thick, creamy avocado yogurt dressing.
Step 4: Add the chickpeas, veggies, and onion to a bowl.
Step 5: Add the prepared avocado yogurt dressing and mix well.
Step 6: Mix gently until the vegetables and chickpeas are evenly coated.
Step 7: Taste and adjust the salt if needed before serving.
Serving Tips
Because the dressing is thick, I also use this salad as a wrap filling or sandwich spread. Here are some of the ways we enjoy this salad at home.
- As a wrap filling: Use the salad as a filling with soft homemade chapati and roll it into a simple chapati wrap.
- Alongside patties: This creamy salad goes well with pumpkin black bean patties or mushroom potato patties.
- On toast: Spoon the salad over toasted bread for a quick open-faced toast, similar to my Indian bean toast. The thick dressing helps the chickpea mixture sit well on the bread instead of making it watery.
- For meal prep: Store the dressing and the chopped cucumber and tomato separately, then combine them when you are ready to eat so the salad stays thick and the vegetables keep their crunch.
Recipe
Creamy Chickpea Salad with Avocado Yogurt Dressing
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Ingredients
For the Avocado Yogurt Dressing
- ½ cup yogurt thick yogurt or Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup avocado mashed, about ½ medium avocado
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon black salt
- 1 green chili chopped
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the Salad
- 1.5 cups chickpeas cooked, one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup tomato chopped
- ½ cup cucumber chopped
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt add only if needed
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mash the avocado until it becomes soft enough to mix easily with the yogurt.¼ cup avocado
- Add the yogurt, cumin powder, black salt, green chili, lemon juice, and coriander leaves to the mashed avocado. Mix well to form a creamy dressing.½ cup yogurt, ½ tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp black salt, 1 green chili, 2 tbsp coriander leaves, 1 tsp lemon juice
- The dressing should hold its shape on a spoon rather than run off in a thin stream. Add the regular salt only after considering how salty your chickpeas already are
- In a large bowl, add the chickpeas, chopped veggies, and onion.1.5 cups chickpeas, ½ cup tomato, ½ cup cucumber, ¼ cup onion
- Pour the avocado yogurt dressing over the chickpeas and mix until every piece is coated.
- Taste and add salt only if needed, since canned chickpeas already carry some salt.¼ tsp salt
- Garnish with extra coriander leaves and serve right away, or chill for later.
Notes
Tested Tips from My Kitchen
- Use thick yogurt or Greek yogurt for the dressing. Thin yogurt makes the salad watery.
- Use a ripe avocado. A firmer avocado leaves lumps that do not blend smoothly into the dressing.
- I kept this salad mild. You can add red chili powder if you want it spicier.
- Black salt gives the dressing its slightly sulfurous, chaat-like tang. Regular salt will not give you the same flavor.
- Chickpeas may already contain salt, so taste the salad before adding the regular salt.
- Keep the cucumber and tomato separate until serving time so the salad does not turn watery.
- For meal prep: Store the dressing and chopped veggies separately. Combine them only when you are ready to eat so the salad stays creamy and the vegetables keep their crunch.
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Nutrition
If you make this creamy chickpea salad with avocado yogurt dressing, please leave a comment and tell me how you served it. You can also try my tofu salad with Indian yogurt dressing if you want to try a similar kind of salad.
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