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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
Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe! What is the best way to store/ keep it? How many days does it typically last?
It does store great, the chickpeas don’t stay crispy but they do have a bit more texture to them and they are still great. They last about 2 days before the avocado dressing gets funny.
Another winner, Alex! Made this for dinner tonight to go with some grilled chicken and it was perfection. So many different flavors but they all blended together perfectly. This is definitely going in the regular rotation during grilling season.
This was really good, even without the mint that I forgot. Found this recipe by looking for things to make to use up extra fresh feta. Served as our green alongside beef/lamb kofta kebabs from the butcher at Central Market. The chickpeas didn’t get as crispy as I thought they would, but maybe they weren’t dry enough. Next time, I will rinse and dry them earlier in the day so that there is no moisture left.
Excited to try this! Was so cool to see that you were inspired by this salad from Bar A Cuda. We’ve been to Kauai a few times and this is our favourite restaurant. We were there in July of this year and this salad is AMAZING!!!
yes- the best! glad you enjoyed this remake!
is there nutritional info?
Hi, Deb! This blog post has been updated and now includes nutritional information!
I eat this at least twice a week for lunch. It has changed my life. Does that sound dramatic? Sure…but that’s how intense my love is for this salad.
I’m here for the drama! Glad this salad continues to deliver. Thanks for commenting!
The BEST!
Yay! Thanks for the comment, Flanny!
I saved this after seeing in your insta stories, thinking here I go again trying to recreate the amazing salad I had years ago in hanalei! Loved reading about your love for bar acuda’s salad too. Made it tonight and we devoured it. Thank you!! It’s a definite keeper–so bright and fresh with savory crispy chickpeas.
So glad this did not disappoint!
never saw a recipe with no measurements for the ingredients. I goes out was not bad but would have been better if I knew how much of each thing to put in!
Michelle- I do not know what you are talking about here. There is a full blown written, very precise recipe toward the end of this page.
I thought the same thing until I scrolled down.
Made this for lunch today – INCREDIBLE! So easy to make and incredibly flavorful. Another home-run recipe by Alex!
Glad you loved it, Lauren!