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This Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas is the perfect fresh addition to your table!
This is another delicious recipe inspired by my summer travels to Kauai! In Hanalei, there is a restaurant called Bar Acuda which is one of my top favorite restaurants on the island for delicious tapas and this cucumber salad! It is so simple but the flavors are beyond fresh and something I cannot get enough of no matter the season.
The dressing in this Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas is like an avocado green goddess, packed with fresh dill and parsley to bring a bright, creamy, and herby touch to every bite. I like using dill and parsley in the dressing, then finishing off the dish with more fresh dill and also some fresh mint for even more flavor. This is a great salad to make when you are entertaining and want something fresh and interesting to add to the table.
Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas Ingredients:
- Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Dried Oregano
- Mini Cucumbers
- Avocado
- Lemon Juice
- White Balsamic Vinegar: Sub White Wine Vinegar
- Fresh Dill Leaves
- Fresh Parsley Leaves
- Garlic
- Feta
- Fresh Mint Leaves
Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas step-by-step:
Step One: Make the Crispy Chickpeas
To start, preheat your oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse the chickpeas well and pat them very dry. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano. Toss until well combined and spread into an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chickpeas are crisp, about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time.
Step Two: Make the Dressing
In a food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, ripe avocado, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, dill, parsley, and garlic. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Step Three: Toss the Cucumbers
Place the cucumbers in a medium bowl and add the avocado dressing along with the salt and pepper. Toss until very well coated.
Step Four: Assemble and Serve
Place the cucumber salad on a large plate or serving dish. Crumble the feta into small pieces over the salad. Garnish with more fresh dill and the mint. Finish with the crispy chickpeas on top plus a pinch of flakey salt, if desired.
rECIPE faq:
Yes! The names are used interchangeably for the same legume. Just sometimes it is written differently on cans!
Yes, but I would not assemble until ready to serve. You can roast the chickpeas and then store in an airtight container on the counter, then the dressing you could make in advance and store in the fridge. Once you are ready to serve, assembly will go quickly!
This really pairs well with any protein you prefer! Chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon…all would be delicious.
I hope y’all enjoy this salad as much as I do! Comment below once you try it!
For More Delicious side Salad Recipes:
Bibb Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette and Mimolette
Little Gem Salad with Tarragon Green Goddess
Shaved Celery and Fennel Salad
Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the Crunchy Chickpease:
- 15 oz can garbanzo beans
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
For the Cucumber Salad:
- 6 mini cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ small ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (sub white wine vinegar)
- ¼ cup fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
For Serving:
- 2 ounces feta
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly torn mint leaves
Instructions
Make the Crunchy Chickpeas:
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well and pat them very dry. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oregano. Toss until well combined and spread into an even layer.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the chickpeas are crisp, about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through the cook time.
Meanwhile, Make the Cucumber Salad:
- In a food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, ripe avocado, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, dill, parsley, and garlic. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Place the cucumbers in a medium bowl and add the avocado dressing along with the salt and pepper. Toss until very well coated.
Assemble and Serve:
- Place the cucumber salad on a large plate. Crumble the feta into small pieces over the salad. Garnish with more fresh dill and the mint. Finish with the crispy chickpeas and a pinch of flakey salt, if desired.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Incredible. Wow I never write reviews and had to say this will be a staple this summer.
Love to hear it, thank you!
Wow!! This is so delicious!! And easy to make😊. Will be a perfect summer salad by itself or as side. Definitely double the dressing though, you will want to have extra for dressing all kinds of salads!
So I saw this recipe as a reel on FB and I was like, oooh that looks yummy. I’m not a huge avocado fan so I did keep omit putting slices on top. I thought the dressing was a pinch bitter for my own taste so I added in a bit of honey for sweetness and I tossed in some lettuce cuz I like me some leaves.
When I say that this was the best damn salad I’ve ever put in my mouth. Ah!!! Like, I could NOT stop eating it. 4 servings? Absolutely not, I inhaled this salad like my life depended on it.
If I could rate higher than 5 stars, I absolutely would. Thank you so much for this! The flavor explosion in my mouth has made me a believer in the salad gods 😂♥️
What a review! Thank you so much — glad this made you a salad believer! haha
This salad was delicious. Love that dressing! I brought this to a girls luncheon and everyone really liked it with requests for the recipe. My only comment would be to make sure the chickpeas are crispy. I cooked mine for 30 minutes but should have left them in a little longer. I also would recommend (and maybe you did already) to add the chickpeas just before serving. Mine were not only not crispy enough, but then probably got a little soggy as I made the salad at home then drove a half hour and didn’t eat for another 1 hour. But it was still really good. My own error. But I definitely recommend this salad. It was even good leftover.
To make really crispy chickpeas, skin them first. The skin on keeps the moisture in and so are a little chewier. Skin off and they get nice and crispy in 30 min no problem.
Loved this! Refreshing and a great “put together” side to bring as guest too. Just couldn’t get the chickpeas to quite crisp up even with longer baking.
Super yummy definitely one of my new favorites
So glad you love it, Linda!
Very good! Kids and adults enjoyed this dish.
Used a whole avocado.
Will make again, next time will forgo the salt as the White Balsamic/Lemon added enough tang.
I’m horrible at making salads. But this was easy and delicious. For some reason, mini cucumbers are much more expensive that the large ones, so I just used large ones and it tasted great.
I also added some romaine lettuce because I had it in the fridge and didn’t want it to go bad.
I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for the notes, Allison!! Glad you loved it.
Super yummy!! We saw this on FaceBook reels and made it two days later. Crowd pleaser!
So glad you enjoyed this!
We have loved this salad at Bar Acuda for years so as soon as I saw your post, I knew it had to be on the menu right away. Made it tonight with a grilled dinner and it was wonderful!! Excellent, easy recipe!
Yay! Glad this salad could bring the Bar Acuda flavors home!