This Mediterranean-inspired salad combines crunchy cucumbers, creamy avocado, and fibre-rich chickpeas with a zesty lime dressing for a dish that feels like summer on a plate. A pinch of Aleppo pepper brings a warm, fruity depth that takes the flavors to the next level. You’ll love the contrast of creamy and crisp textures, along with bright pops of red onion and fresh herbs in every bite. Best of all, you can throw together this gorgeous salad in 20 minutes or less!
Quick Recipe Overview
What it is: A hearty cucumber salad with creamy avocado, protein-packed chickpeas, red onion, fresh herbs, and feta cheese. A zesty lime dressing spiked with the warm, fruity kick of Aleppo pepper, takes this salad over the top. Simple ingredients, BIG flavor.
Perfect for: Serving alongside main dishes, or as a light lunch topped with eggs or tinned fish.
Time needed: 20 minutes or less.
Prepare ahead: The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead. Slice the cucumbers and onions up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate. The herbs can be washed and chopped up to 2 hours ahead.
Serve with: This refreshing salad pairs especially well with rich, crispy, or spicy dishes such as grilled chicken, kebabs, salmon, or burgers. It’s also great for stuffing in a pita with hummus.
Good to know: If serving later, wait to add the avocado until just before serving.
Not A Boring Cucumber Salad
As soon as summer arrives, I start craving bright, crunchy salads with a briny edge and plenty of freshness. In this version, crisp cucumbers are tossed with creamy avocado, chickpeas, red onion, fresh herbs, and salty feta, all brought together with a refreshing lime vinaigrette. It’s a simple, no-fuss salad that has been a longtime favorite for myself and everyone that tries it.
Recently, I’ve been adding Aleppo pepper to the dressing, which gives the salad a warm, earthy depth that’s gently spicy but not at all fiery. Every time I use Aleppo pepper, I wonder why I don’t reach for it more often. It has such a unique flavor, a little like a mild cumin with a subtle fruity heat.
While this salad can absolutely be enjoyed year-round, it truly shines on hot summer days, especially eaten outdoors on a beautiful day. I hope you give it a try soon — it’s cooling and fresh, and will turn an everyday meal into one that feels extra special.
A Few Notes On Key Ingredients
- Cucumbers: The best cucumbers to use in this salad are English or Persian cucumbers. They’re pretty much seedless and because the skin is not thick or bitter, you son’t have to peel them. If using field cucumbers, be sure to peel them and consider scraping our the seeds.
- Feta: I love adding briny, tender feta to this salad but if you’re avoiding dairy, it is fine to omit it. The salad will still be delicious. If you’d rather use a different cheese, goat cheese or torn fresh mozzarella would also work.
- Aleppo pepper: Here we add Aleppo pepper to the dressing, plus finish the salad with an extra sprinkle. If you aren’t familiar with Aleppo pepper, it is a gently spicy, slightly fruity chili flake with warm, earthy depth. Fortunately, many well-stocked grocery stores now sell Aleppo pepper. If you can’t find it, you can mix 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika with just a pinch of cayenne pepper. Alternativey, use a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Lime dressing: If there is a heavy presence of avocados in a salad, my dressing will always be made with lime juice as opposed to lemon juice. This lime dressing is absolutely delicious in this salad but if you already have lemons on hand, you can go ahead and use them.
- Fresh herbs: I used parsley and dill but I also love it with basil, cilantro, or mint. Feel to play around with your favorite mixture. If you don’t have any fresh herbs available, try it with a 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
How To Make Cucumber Avocado Salad With Chickpeas And Feta
- Prep the veggies: Slice the cucumbers and onions using a sharp knife or mandolin. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, and wash all the fresh herbs. Drizzle the peeled and chopped avocado pieces with lime juice to prevent them from browning too quickly.
- Mix the dressing: I like to add all the ingredients to a jar, cover and shake aggressively. This is the best way to emulsify the olive oil and vinegar.
- Assemble the salad: In a large serving bowl, combine the cucumbers, chickpeas, onion, chopped herbs, feta and avocado. Add as much dressing as you like, toss gently and garnish with a a little extra Aleppo pepper and fresh herbs, if desired. Serve immediately!
- NOTE: Once you add the avocado, this salad doesn’t keep super well. It should be fine to sit for about 1 hour ahead of time, but not much more than that.
Serving Suggestions
This avocado cucumber salad with feta is the ultimate summertime salad! It’s light and refreshing, and full of crunchy, creamy textures. You can throw it together quickly so it’s perfect for a weeknight side and great for entertaining, too! Here’s a few suggestions on how we love to serve it:
Tucked into wraps: Place the salad in a pita or tortilla, roll it up and enjoy a delicious wrap!
Serve alongside grilled meats – I recently served this salad with these Grilled Korean-Style Short Ribs (Galbi) and some buttery steamed baby potatoes on the side and my husband has now requested that exact meal for Father’s Day. It would be just as delicious with these Bang Bang Chicken Skewers, or these crowd-favourite Pineapple Salmon Kabobs and a side of cilantro lime rice — so good! Basically, this salad goes with anything that comes off the grill.
With grains: If you add farro, quinoa, brown rice or orzo, it can be a totally satisfying light meal.
Let Me Know Your Thoughts
If you gave this Cucumber Avocado Salad with Chickpeas and Feta recipe a try, I would love to hear how it worked out for you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below or feel free to ask me anything — I always enjoy chatting with you.
Don’t forget to leave a star rating, too!~Sandra x
Cucumber Avocado Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or 1 tablespoon red/white wine vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 small garlic clove, grated or minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt or sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more for garnish
For the Salad
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 lime
- 6-8 Persian cucumbers sliced 1/4-inch thick (or chopped, if you prefer)
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped herbs such as dill and/or parsley
- 1/2 heaping cup crumbled feta cheese, (from a 3-4 ounce block)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Add the vinegar, lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and Aleppo pepper to a small jar or bowl. Whisk or shake until well combined and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop out the flesh and cut into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the juice of ½ lime (use the remaining half if needed). Gently toss to coat and prevent browning.
- Add the cucumbers, chickpeas, red onion, herbs, feta, and salt to the bowl with the avocado. Drizzle with the dressing (add to taste—you may not need it all). Gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Sprinkle with extra Aleppo pepper and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
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