This Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad, is light, bright, filling, and just perfect for spring (please spring, come quickly). The dressing is creamy but still light, and is bursting with fresh vibrant flavors. This salad is quick to throw together and can be stored in a fridge for a few days, making it great for a meal prep lunch. If you loved my Sriracha Chickpea Salad Wraps or Scallion Herb Cream Cheese Spread, you’ll love this Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad, which a hybrid of both. :)
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
A Creamy Dressing Without Mayo?? YES!
I’m loving how creamy and light this mayo-free dressing is. The avocado gives the dressing plenty of creaminess, while the tangy Greek yogurt keeps everything a lot lighter than a traditional mayonnaise based dressing. A splash of lemon juice plus plenty of fresh herbs round out the flavor and make this salad so good that I stood over the counter and ate the entire (half) test batch! But hey, with its list of gold-star healthy ingredients, I’m going to consider that a win. ;)
How to Serve Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad
The recipe below is just for the chickpea salad, not the sandwich, because there are several ways you can serve this salad. Serve it over a bed of greens, like an actual salad, stuff it into a pita, wrap it up in a tortilla, or pile it between a couple slices of hearty bread, like in the photos. Your choice.
Want to try more chickpea salads? Try my Pesto Chickpea Salad, Curry Chickpea Salad, or Sriracha Chickpea Salad Wraps!
Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad
Servings 2 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 avocado ($0.79)
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt ($0.44)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley ($0.25)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro ($0.20)
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions (about two) ($0.23)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas ($0.49)
Instructions
- Place the avocado, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, parsley, cilantro, and scallions in a bowl. Mash the ingredients together until combined. It’s okay if the avocado is a bit chunky still.
- Drain the can of chickpeas, then add them to the bowl with the avocado dressing. Stir and mash the chickpeas into the dressing. Taste the salad and add salt if needed.
- Serve the salad over a bed of greens, between two slices of bread, in a pita, or wrapped in a tortilla.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad – Step by Step Photos
Add one avocado, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and 1/4 cup sliced scallions (about two) to a bowl.
Mash those ingredients together until they’re well combined. It’s okay if the avocado is still a bit chunky.
Add a drained 15oz. can of chickpeas to the dressing.
Stir and mash the chickpeas into the scallion herb avocado dressing. Give it a taste and add more salt, if needed (I did not add any, but it’s important to always salt to your own tastes).
Eat the Scallion Herb Chickpea Salad as-is (like I did with the test batch, lol), make it into a sandwich, wrap, or serve it over a bed of greens. Enjoy!
Really refreshing for summer but a bit light on flavor. Next time I’ll add more lemon as some commenters suggested. I also added some chili seasoning (I used a blend from New Mexico but tajin is similar) and that did perk it up a bit.
The only thing I did different was add a little extra scallion & lemon juice, and it was fabulous! love it.
I really loved this salad. But I was wondering if there’s a substitute for the avocado? It’s delicious but turns brown if not eaten right away, and my daughter can’t eat avocado but would like it otherwise.
It was simple to make. It was also super yummy. I found a new staple.
Delicious! I did add a bit more lemon juice, otherwise, it’s great just as it is!
I like the basic concept on this one and I think it is good as written, but I have a few tweaks that I think really upped the flavor:
– a tbsp of olive oil drizzled in
– some chili powder or smoked paprika for a bit of heat
– a bit more lemon juice, 1.5 to 2 tsp for my taste
This was delicious and light!! I accidentally used parsley but was still so good.
I found this recipe quite bland. I added some soy sauce and garlic salt and more acid to try to bump up the flavor more, but still not my favorite.
I found that just adding chipotle chili powder gives this the punch it was missing to bring the recipe together.
Question, will the avocado hold up or turn brown ?
The acid in the yogurt and lemon juice keep it from browning. :)
Love this recipe as-is, but also delicious to mix with a bit of tuna for yummy take on a tuna salad!
Love this! Always come back to it. Goes perfectly on some seedy crackers for an easy at-work lunch snack.
So. Very. Good. Hits the sweet spot for easy and fresh.
SOOOOO delicious! I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved this
How long does this keep in the fridge? Does the avocado brown?
Hi, Mo! I would imagine it keeps well for a day or so in the fridge. While it would be an additional expense, a squeeze of lime juice (or lemon) will help hold to the avocado a little bit longer. ~Marion :)
Great recipe. I was out of tuna or chicken for lunchtime sandwiches but I did have some chick peas. Surprisingly good. Thank you.
This is good as written but I have also made it with basil/marinated red onions instead of parsely/cilantro/green onion. I have also substituted apple cider vinegar for lemon juice and it is still good! It’s definitely more refreshing if you have lemon juice but I almost always have vinegar and sometimes run out of lemons. It’s not a bad substitution. Great recipe either way!
This one is tasty! I prefer non-dairy alternatives when I have the chance, so I subbed out the Greek yogurt for a non-dairy coconut based substitute. It still blends together well and you don’t taste the coconut, but in retrospect, I would have definitely found a thicker substitute. The taste is good upon combining, but I definitely had to give it a bit more flavour with a LOT more lemon juice, a bit of Dijon mustard, and a little bit of Cholula. And salt.
Give this a try; makes a good lunch for working from home!
This is so nice and fresh. A little bit of mustard makes it perfect. It needs a little zing.
Will make and looks great. I just hope to find anything close to your estimated prices!
This looks delicious! Do you think it would be possible to freeze the extra salad? Or would it not freeze well?
Unfortunately, this one probably won’t freeze very well. :(
I made a couple of modifications, simply because we’ve had chickpeas as the star A Lot in the last month; I swapped them for a can of cannellini beans (mashed with the avocado) and a small package of grilled chicken breast fillets that I chopped. It went over very well and I will certainly make it again. A very nice spring/summer dish.
Love this recipe. I add chopped picked jalapeño in for a little heat.
Wow! This is my new favorite. SO EASY and so fresh!! Definitely will make over and over!! I put it on a sun-dried tomato wrap with butter lettuce and tomato. SO GOOD!
Was easy and incredibly delicious – I thought it would be and it was even better than I expected. Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow.
One of my go-to’s! I remember eating it this summer on a picnic with family as the only vegetarian. It was great and light and easy to make.
I love this, I didn’t have chickpeas so I used a can of brown lentils instead, it was yum and even better the next day when the flavours had melded more
In theory I loved this, in practice not as much. I found it surprisingly bland and had to add a lot more spices plus some hot sauce to perk it up. The yogurt taste was overwhelming without the addtl spices I found.
We added pomegranate seed to ours for a summery burst.
This is absolutely delicious!
I used my food processor and added a sprinkle of dried dill because it’s my fave–so simple and so good!!
Thanks for sharing a solid vegetarian lunch option!
Fresh and satisfying. I’ll definitely make this again again! I ate mine on toasted Ezekiel sprouted grain bread. I would definitely recommend this on bread with nuts seeds or oats!! I think it would be great on pumpernickel too!!!
I loved this recipe!! It is delicious, and perfect for summer since no heat is required. Refreshing, filling, and tasty! I think the avocado-yogurt sauce without the chickpeas would be great with other proteins, like tofu or as a spread on a tempeh sandwich.
Healthy and yummy, took a bit of doctoring up to give it enough flavor.
Do you have a suggested adaption without avocado? I would love to make this for my dad but he is allergic
Unfortunately I haven’t made an avocado-free version and that’s one of the main ingredients for the dressing, so it’s definitely something I’d need to play around with and test before offering suggestions.
You could probably achieve a similar texture with hummus. Obviously the flavor would be different without the avocado, and it would essentially be doubling up on the chickpeas, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe use a flavored hummus to help it stand out from the plain chickpeas?
Very yummy! easy to adapt to whatever ingredients on hand. Ive made this so many times now! really recommend trying this
This is delicious! It really does taste like spring – herbal and creamy, with just the right amount of zing. I had some in a sandwich right off the bat, and I’m taking some to work as a no-heat-needed lunch for tomorrow, and I have enough for a couple of sandwiches/wraps/etc. for the next couple of days.
I put it in a wrap. Just added some romaine lettuce. Very yummy. Loved it! Thank you.
Made it tonight – followed the recipe. Used Fage 5% plain yogurt, so it was nice and rich. Added a little more lemon juice. Got some storebought naan, a mini size, about the size of a corn tortilla and put a layer of shredded butter lettuce under it. It was good…I decided to add some powdered sumac and a little cumin to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Have my niece for a few weeks. She is a great eater, but I still strive to make food tasty and interesting rather than her same old, same old. She eats 3x what I do, but is super thin and is at least 5’3” tall.
We picked up Loco Moco and she LOVED it – as did I. Would love to get your take on that recipe.
I am going to try this chick pea salad for lunch tomorrow. If she thinks it is just okay Then I will pull out your chicken salad with broccoli!😁
I’m one of those folks who don’t jive with the taste of cilantro, so I usually add chives instead and heartily recommend them as another herb to throw into the mix! With that change, this is one of my FAVORITES.
I love this recipe. Nothing like fresh herbs and lemon zest. Very easy to make when I’m short on time. My husband, who’s a meat and potatoes guy, was going for 2nds and 3rds.
Just waiting on my avos to ripen….
What about substituting sour cream for the yogurt?
Yes that can work.
Any suggestions for a milk-free sour cream substitution? `Would mayonnaise work? What about adding a little mustard for the sourness? Sorry to be a pain, but milk (and milk products) cause me a lot of pain so I try to avoid when possible.
Unfortunately I haven’t tested any dairy substitutes in this recipe, so it’s hard to say if they’d taste okay or not. It may also just be a matter of personal taste, too. :)
I used mayo because I’m lactose intolerant and it came out delicious!
Made recipe as is except I substituted onion powder for the scallions. It was DELICIOUS on a toasted everything bagel!
Omg, this recipe is absolutely DELICIOUS! I’m usually a bit wary of recipes I find online but this one sounded so good I had to try it, and I’m glad I did! I also love that it’s healthy and filling. Will be taking leftovers for lunch this week!
Made this for dinner for my 14-month-old and I and it was a hit! Yesterday, I tried giving her chickpeas as part of a snack but she immediately spit them out, refusing to eat more. She likes hummus so I was disappointed. Since I had all these chickpeas to use up, I came across this recipe today and it sounded mouth-watering. She gobbled this up! I’m so glad she likes lemon yogurt sauces. I love that the fats in this dish come from avocado instead of mayonnaise. I subbed fresh parsley and cilantro with freeze-dried and didn’t have any scallions or chives so I subbed in a little onion powder. Worked out great! So tangy and creamy, will definitely be making this again especially with how easy and quick this was to prepare. Thank you for this recipe.
As someone who normally craves meat with every meal BUT is now trying to eat healthier, this is delicious. I served it on a bed of greens on an open faced sandwich (save those calories!) with whole wheat bread. A little messy this way but so yummy and filling! Whole family was impressed. This is going to be a staple for me.
This was incredibly delicious and easy to make. Served yesterday on top of greens and thinly sliced cucumber…today on a wheat/bran/flaxseed pita (Aldi carries these). Already planning on making another batch, lol. Healthy, low calorie, *great* recipe!
It a nice and delicious. I think this is the best recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing with us.
I really not a fan of avocado. If I increased the yogurt a bit and added maybe a tablespoon of olive oil, would that be a workable alternative? Thanks!
Oh sure that would be great!
Had middle whip on hand and no yogurt. Addictive.
Just made this, so tasty! Subbed lime for lemon and added some cheddar cheese on a sandwich. Will be adding this to the make again list!
Oh delicious!
This is really good. Can’t wait to eat another one for lunch tomorrow.
Such a delicious recipe! It’s so flexible–I’ve made it with different herbs, no herbs, added red pepper flakes, served on spinach or in a wrap or on its own. It’s amazing every time, and it’s the easiest thing to make to pack for lunch when I’m in a hurry.
I tried this last night and boy was it goood!! The fam loved it too.
Also this detox tea is the perfect drink for this imo.
Check it out guys! http://bit.ly/2TtxDf3
How many days would this recipe last refrigerated?
About 4 days, give or take some depending on the conditions in the refrigerator and freshness of the herbs. :)
Great recipe. Definitely worth it to use fresh herbs instead of dried. I threw in some chopped spinach. I think the lemon juice is keeping the avocado from browning so this is a good meal for leftovers. 1.5 cup serving is a lot… In my opinion this is more like 3 servings.
This is avocado toast leveled up. A+
Oh my, this is amazing. I used dried herbs instead of fresh (1 tbsp of each), and forgot to bring bread to work, so I ate it on saltine crackers. And it was still incredible. Perfect on a hot day.
Did it again Beth! This is so amazing, the only thing I changed was use a bit of really good olive oil with the Greek yogurt. I don’t think it needed it considering the avocado but I like the taste. Officially a lunch staple!
I don’t normally review recipes online, but this was so good. I used guacamole instead of just an avocado as it was more cost effective and the avocados at our grocery store were bad. I made them into wraps for my husband and me for dinner, and we have leftovers for lunch today that we are all too eager to eat. This is going into our rotation along with the sriracha chickpea salad wraps – which are also absolutely amazing. I used Greek yogurt in the sriracha chickpea salad instead of mayonnaise, and it was so great. Letting them sit overnight to get more complex flavors is well worth it, but admittedly difficult.
Looks delicious! I’ve worked with chickpeas a few times and I’ve felt the need to peel them. Do you peel yours?
I never bother to peel mine because I’m too lazy and I want that extra fiber. :D
Really wanted to try one of the cheaper recipes on this site and loved this one! So healthy and refreshing on a hot day.
I added a little finely diced celery for the crunch/chicken salad effect and a little olive oil because I only had a small piece of avocado. Thank you this was tasty and so affordable. Not wanting to overstock on herbs I may waste I didn’t use cilantro and it wasn’t missed.
This is a perfect example of a “genius” recipe: It’s easy. It’s delicious. It’s healthy. It’s satisfying. It’s attractive. It’s adaptable. Last week, I made it exactly “as is,” and spread it on Wasa crackers. It was a PERFECT MEAL. And the beauty of it is that you can play around with it and use different herbs, i.e. dill, (yum!) or use different beans, i.e. pinto. It can be a spread on bread or crackers. Alone at midnight, or as dip with chips at a Sunday brunch – this does the trick.
Wow so good. I didn’t mix in the avocado because I was meal prepping for lunches and figured it would get brown. I ate the salad in a wrap with avocado slices and baby spinach.
This was so, so good. So easy and delicious. Next time I want to add some frozen pureed spinach (I keep cubes of pureed spinach in my freezer to sneak in my kids food) for a little extra nutrition and color. I was impatient and didn’t wait for my avocado to ripen fully and I think if I had, it would have been next-level delicious 😋
Any substitutions for the avocado? They are quite expensive here and so good for the environment, any tips are much appreciated
You could just use more yogurt to make up for it and maybe a touch of mayo for extra creaminess. :)
Tastes great! I am meal-prepping this for lunch and made a double batch. If I made this Sunday, will it last 4 days until Thursday? Will this freeze well? Thanks!
This absolutely rocks. Refreshing, healthy, flavorful. In a wrap (or not) with baby arugula. Thank you, Beth!
Delicious!
And looking through the comments, I saw that lots of people made modifications, I did too as I didn’t have parsley on hand. I used a little more yogurt because that’s what was left, and I added a pinch of cayenne, some pepper, and diced red onion. Have served it on top of a bed of greens with cucumber, tomato and feta with balsamic and a hard boiled egg the past two days, and it’s a delicious side that makes a salad a lot more filling! Also really tasty on brown rice crackers.
Thanks again Beth for your creative recipes which are budget conscious and health conscious – keeps me comin back! :))) You are a kitchen wizard :)))
Beth, this was the second recipe of yours I’ve tried (first was the Garlic Noodles which I’ve been using regularly for about a year b/c the family LOVES it) and once again – absolutely delicious. I can’t believe I’ve never really perused your blog much before – everything looks absolutely delicious and your cooking style seems to be right up my alley: Fresh, solid veggie-focus, and approachable. I just downloaded your app and look forward to becoming a regular member of your community. Thank you for sharing your talent and skills with all of us!
This was such a solid and easy recipe that was a perfect make-ahead lunch. Put it on a piece of sliced sourdough and added a slice of swiss on top and it was perfect. If I had a toaster at work that would have hit it out of the park, but cest la vie! My husband said he really loved it, too – so thanks on behalf of him!
Thank you, Sarah!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes and I hope you find many more in the archives that become part of your regular rotation. :)
I didn’t have the herbs or yogurt, so I ended up making a mashup of this recipe and the sriracha chickpea salad recipe – avocado, a bit of mayo, scallions, sriracha, lemon juice, salt and pepper, chickpeas. It was SO GOOD. Thanks for the recipe inspiration.
I think a good vegan substitute for the Greek yogurt would just be a smaller measure of vegan mayo.
Delicious and so simple!! This is light, refreshing, and wonderful. My husband suggested we can even make this as just a dip.
This looks delish! I can’t wait to try it with my family and my friends. Thanks for the share
This looks amazing! Is the taste of the lemon juice really noticeable when you eat the salad? I had to take a lemon-flavored medicine as a kid, and I have HATED lemon ever since, so if it really comes through, I will omit it from the recipe. Thank you. :)
No, I wouldn’t say the lemon is strong at all. It’s used more to give acidity. That being said, if you’re overly sensitive to lemon now because of your experience, it’s hard to say if you might notice it.
Made this yesterday and grilled it on Jewish Rye. It was SO GOOD. My husband agreed it tastes like the gourmet tuna melt at a local restaurant despite no cheese, tuna, or mayo. It must be the grilled rye with the similar texture inside. I know it says 2 servings but I got 4 nicely filled grilled sandwiches out of it. Absolutely delicious!
I made this for lunch today and it’s delish! I put the leftovers in a sealed container to eat this week for lunch but am now thinking it might not keep because of the avocado. Anyone have any luck keeping this for a few days?
The combination of the lemon juice and the yogurt keeps the avocado from turning brown. Mine lasted for three days in the fridge.
I made this and put it on whole wheat bread, next time I think I will try in on pita bread, also, I think I might add a couple of cloves of crushed garlic to round out the flavor a bit more, but otherwise it was delicious.
This chickpea salad is so easy and full of flavor. I cut down on the amount of cilantro (not a fan) and stuffed the salad and some greens into pita (pita bread recipe also from Budget Bytes). I’ve had great success with the many recipes I’ve tried – Beth is MAGIC. Love expanding my recipe repertoire without breaking the bank.
what would you use as a vegan alternative?
I’m sorry, I haven’t tested this recipe with any alternatives to the yogurt. My best guess would be to find a vegan yogurt alternative.
You have a serious gift. I have not loved any of your tried dishes. This was delicious. I put mine on rye bread. Mmmm.
I never comment on recipe posts, but had to for this one. IT IS SO GOOD, just the way it is!!! Thank you, thank you!
This is delicious! I subbed lime juice for the lemon and added a little diced red onion. Makes a great lunch and it’ll be perfect for summer.
Hey Beth! Unfortunately my life has taken a turn into needing to do some super serious grocery budgeting. Can your recipes be searched through/filtered by price? What meals or sections of your recipes do you recommend for when a household seriously needs to buckle down?
Thanks! This has been my go to recipe blog for……..like five years!!
Hey Danielle, there is a filter option if you click the dropdown menu (three lines) and click “recipes”, not the recipe dropdown menu. When you click “recipes” there should be a bunch of black labels, look for the one that says “price per serving” then you can select which price per serving. Sorry that whatever happened has impacted your finances so much, hope you can recover a soon as possible.
Yep, they sure can! :) We’ve made categories for different price categories to make that a little easier for you. If you click on the “Recipe Index” in the main menu you’ll be taken to a page where every category is listed. In that list you’ll see categories for total recipes prices and price per serving.
I just made this! It was amazing! I did about a third cup herbs and added some fresh jalapeno. It was delicious!
Made this the morning before heading to work and it was AMAZING. I didn’t have Greek yogurt so I swapped a bit of aioli I had on hand. I served this over some mixed green & it was great!!
I love it! I used JUST brand Plain vegan mayo instead of Greek yogurt. I’ll definitely make it again.
I am soooooooooo excited to make this. OMG.
Are green onions and scallions the same thing?
Yep :)
I hate avocados, or so I have told myself for 52 years. I tried this recipe so I could sprout the avocado pit and grow a new houseplant. Imagine my surprise when I very bravely tried a bite and couldn’t stop eating it until both servings were gone! Thanks for a great recipe, a new ingredient to begin exploring in the kitchen, and, of course, (in a couple months) a new houseplant.
I’ve loved the previous chickpea salad recipes you’ve posted (they make such cheap, filling lunches), and they have inspired me to experiment with them a lot on my own, but I probably would never thought of using avocados in the dressing. I’m going to try this one as soon as the avocados I have are ripe.
I dont understand. Who would sell you $.20 on cilantro. Anywho, I will try the recipe
Probably calculated by taking the cost of the full bunch (where I live, cilantro is regularly 99 cents/bunch) and dividing amount used by full cost, meaning that 1/4c works out to cost 20 cents based on how much she paid for the full bunch.
This looks like a delicious and quick meal to make. Thank you for keeping variety in your recipes. Your blog is usually where I go first for meal inspiration. I love it!
Do you think this would be equally good without the scallions? My husband really dislikes onions, which is pretty sad.
Thanks!
Lindsey
http://www.beautifulbravery.com
Yes, you can make it without scallions. You may try adding a touch of garlic powder to get those base notes, though.
in what world can you buy an avocado for $0.79??? LMAO
They were actually on sale for $0.39 each the week before. ;)
I live in one of the most expensive areas in the country (DC Metro Area) and they are regularly 50 cents a piece at Aldi, maybe closer to a dollar at standard markets.
Same! DC suburb and I’m happy when I can get them for $1 or $1.50. Still, I’m excited to try this!
I put this recipe into a calorie calculator and it gave me 765 calories per serving. Do you think this is accurate?
I find calorie calculators to be very inaccurate in general, which is why I don’t use them to display nutrition info on my recipes.
Will this brown if left in fridge overnight due to the avocado?
No, the acid from the yogurt prevents browning.
The recipe looks great, but I too would be interested in how long you think it would keep for in the fridge?
About 3-4 days.
This looks so good! If I were to meal prep it for lunches, how many days do you think it would last?
I have the same question!! My guess would be 3 days??
I made a double batch last night in hopes it’ll last 3-4 days. So far, I can confirm it’s delicious. Added some cayenne and garlic powder for a bit of kick.
I’ll report back on how it holds up. I have it covered in plastic wrap to hopefully preserve from oxidation.
About 3-4 days
I’m allergic to avocado, but this looks so good! Would there be any sort of substitution that you would suggest? Maybe mayo or sour cream? Thanks!
I follow another budget recipe blog that suggests substituting avocado for an unripe banana. I was wary when I first swapped it in egg and ‘avocado’ pitta. But, once mashed and a wee bit extra salt and pepper added, the texture and semi-sweet taste of an unripe banana is pretty similar, (and considerably cheaper where I’m from) to a ripe avocado. Hope this helps!
Yes, you can sub mayo. :)