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The everything but the kitchen sink Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Chickpea Salad. If youโre going to eat a salad today, it should definitely be this salad. Itโs the perfect quick fix salad thatโs almost no-cook and comes together in minutes. Grab that can of chickpeas from the pantry, some fresh cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, refreshing cucumbers, all your favorite herbs, feta cheese, and an avocado. Make a quick shallot vinaigretteโฆtoss it all together, and done. Itโs summery, healthy, and so good! Perfect for meal prepped lunches, a side salad, or a light dinner.
Iโm feeling like Iโve shared a lot of sweet summer recipes recently, so switching up our regularly-scheduled Tuesday content, for summer salad content.
I have some simple throw it all in dinner recipes, some easy sweet treats, and even some get-creative cocktail recipes. But today Iโm adding to my salads collection with this throw everything in but the kitchen sink summer salad. Yes, I have shared plenty of salads here on HBH, but salads like this? Not so much.
This is much more of a lunch salad, meal prepping salad, or light summer dinner salad. Itโs beyond good, so freaking easy, and super fresh. And did I mention is (almost) no-bake and takes less than 30 minutes to put together? Kind of excited to be sharing this. I always hesitate to share simple recipes, but you guys always tell me to never hesitate, so here it goes. I hope you love this one as much as I do!
To make this salad you really just need all of the summer produce you can grab.
Start out by gathering up some herbs, which yes, are my obsession this month. If you read yesterdayโs post then you know our garden is overflowing with every herb imaginable. Clearly I need to use them, so this is an herb heavy salad.
I like to use fresh basil, cilantro, parsley, and chives. Of course, if you donโt love cilantro, you can easily omit it. Iโm well aware that cilantro is something you either love or you hateโฆI love it, but you do whatโs best for you!
Add the herbs to a bowl, then add chickpeas, sweet cherry tomatoes, plenty of grilled corn, and Persian cucumbers. This makes up the bulk of your salad.
Now for the vinaigrette, this is where all the major flavor comes in.
Caramelized shallots, olive oil, lemon, honey, and red wine vinegar. Itโs tangy, a touchy sweet, and balanced out with a pinch (more or less to your taste) of crushed red pepper flakes. I really couldnโt love this vinaigrette more. Simple, but it really packs a flavorful punch.
The key is to deeply caramelize the shallots on the stove. I know this is a little bit of an extra step, but one, I donโt love raw shallots. And two, caramelized shallots are worth any extra time. I learned this last fall when I made a similar vinaigrette, and Iโve been using the same method ever since. Itโs so good.
Now, pour the warmish vinaigrette over the salad and toss. The moment the hot vinaigrette hits the fresh herbs in the salad you are immediately hit with delicious smells, the tomatoes become even juicier, and the chickpeas become soaked in flavor.
Add the salty feta cheese and avocado and thatโs your salad!
Again, SO GOOD. Itโs kind of amazing how something so simple and fresh can taste so delicious.
How do you eat this salad? Well, there are many ways.
Option 1:ย you can simply eat this just as is with a fork and nothing else. Thatโs great, super simple, and super healthy too.
Option 2: cook up some of your favorite seeded bread in a little olive oil. Add an egg or two and fry that up. Top the salad with the fried egg and enjoy with toast on the side. This is my personal favorite. I like it as a breakfast for dinner option and it takes just minutes.
Option 3: MEAL PREP! Make this on Sunday night, leave the avocado out, portion it out for lunch or dinner, then just toss and add the avocado before serving. You then have a well-marinated salad and itโs very delicious. Love a salad that actually gets better over time.
Option 4:ย family dinner with a side of crispy basil saltimbocca. YUM.
Either way you serve this up, itโs going to be loved by all!
If you make this corn, tomato, and avocado chickpea salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, and or parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained
- 4 ears grilled or steamed corn, kernels removed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- 1 cup cubed feta cheese
- 1 avocado, diced
Shallot vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 pinch crushed red peppers flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. To make the salad. Add the basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, chickpeas, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers to a large bowl. 2. To make the vinaigrette. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots, cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, and red wine vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.ย 3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with avocado, and feta. Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Loved it. Basil is essential. I also blistered the tomatoes.
Hey there,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
I was expecting this to turn out like a 3/10, but after just one bite, I immediately realized this was a 10/10 salad!! I shared the recipe within minutes with my friends and it now has a permanent spot in my favorites. So very delicious!!
Hey Mona,
Yay!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this salad, thanks for making it and sharing with others!
I loved this salad! It’s fresh, easy to make, and perfect for summer days. The flavors blend really well together. I’ll definitely be making it again!
Thank you so much Ebony! I am so glad you loved this salad, it really is such a fresh salad for summer! ๐ xT
Absolutely delicious served on romaine lettuce leaves for company!
Hi Janet,
Happy Tuesday!! Iโm so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks a lot for making it!
My 16 yr old asked me to serve this alongside grilled burgers for her bday party.
What a hit!
I made a double recipe and everyone chowed down on it.
Itโs a definite keeper.
Next time Iโll use a firmer avocado and dice it into. larger pieces.
Hey Paula,
Yay!! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit with your family, thanks so much for making it! xx
So, so good! One of the best summer salads weโve had!
So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks so much! xT
Loved making this over the weekend and my family loved it too! Just curious, I know you list the calories per serving above, but do you have any more detailed nutrition info? If not, no worries!
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! So sorry, at this time we only have the estimated calorie count for these recipes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I found a great free nutrition calculator that can help you get complete nutritional info for this:
https://www.recipeone.app/recipe-calorie-calculator
Delicious! I’m allergic to onions (even shallots) so I omitted them and added a little dijon for flavor (and to emulsify the dressing). Tastes like summer! And it made a ton so I’ll use the leftovers on top of spinach or arugula to make a yummy salad. This will be a summer fave!
Hey Laura,
Happy Friday!! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!๐๐ xx
This salad is delicious! We eat with grilled salmon. I also double the dressing.
Hi Francesca,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Tieghan, I sent this recipe to my daughter as she was looking for a healthy salad to bring to a party. She now makes a double batch and calls it crack salad. I found fresh corn but it was snowing, I just kept Turing it over on my burners of my gas stove. It worked perfectly! Thanks again for another amazing recipe
Hey Karin,
Wonderful!!๐ด๐ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, love to hear that it turned out well! xx
Another winner, Tieghan! I had to hunt for fresh corn since itโs out of season, but will be making this on regular rotation once summer hits! This will be great to enjoy throughout the week as a pre-prepped side dish.
Hey Autumn,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Hands down my favorite, most fail-proof HBH recipe EVER. I have made this a dozen times because everyone asks for it! Itโs SO good!!!! I follow the recipe exactly as written and gosh, itโs just fantastic! Great job, T!
Hey Carly,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
So fresh and yummy!!! The flavours are wonderful together and it is so easy to make. Accidently put the lemon zest in the olive oil before cooking so drained the oil off the zest and used that to cook the shallots in the lemon flavoured oil. Will definitely make this again.
Hi Kelly,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx
OMG SO amazing!! Almost didnโt sautรฉ the shallot, but so glad I did. Simply scrumptious! Thank you Tieghan! Would love to see more recipes like this. Great as a side, but a meal by itself. Yummmmm!!!!!
Hey Diane,
Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan