This avocado panzanella with chickpeas, olives & crusty bread is not your average salad. It's a hearty twist on the classic Italian panzanella salad … brimming with crunch, creaminess, and just the right brininess. Still oh-so deliciously filling.
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You know the classic Italian panzanella - that rustic salad of tomatoes and crusty bread? Okay, forget everything you know. Our avocado panzanella is... different. And here to stay.
It's an avocado, olive, and chickpea situation! Still all about the bread, but with a creamy, savory upgrade. Crunchy. Creamy. Briny. Filling.
Basically, an avocado salad with chickpeas that decided to be a panzanella.
Seriously. This stuff is GOOD.
Why We Love This Avocado Panzanella
- It's a meal, not a side.
This isn't one of those salads that leaves you hungry an hour later. With chickpeas and avocado side by side, this avocado panzanella is legit dinner material. Also: lunch the next day if you're lucky enough to have leftovers (and don't mind the bread a little mushier).
- The bread situation.
Toasted bread is the heart of panzanella. We're going with dark, hearty bread here - more filling, more fiber, more crunch.
- A little bit of everything.
Briny olives, creamy avocado chunks, hearty chickpeas, tangy red onion.
This is the salad that feels healthy but tastes like indulgence.
And you'll be happy to hear this takes ten minutes, max. The hardest part is waiting for the bread to toast.
🍽 Recipe
10-Minute Avocado Panzanella with Chickpeas (vegan)
Ingredients
Salad:
- 3 slices of sourdough or dark whole grain bread* (frozen works, too, since we're going to toast anyway)
- 2 large avocados
- 1 small red onion (you can susbstitute it with two chopped green onions)
- 100 g black and green olives, pitted
- 250 g cooked chickpeas, drained weight (1 jar)
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed oil**
- Lemon juice from half of a large lemon, maybe even a little more
- 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico bianco)***
- 1 handful parsley leaves (or 1 teaspoon chopped frozen parsley)
- Salt and pepper to taste (careful with the salt, the olives are already salty)
Optional:
- A couple of fresh basil leaves torn and sprinkled over the salad
Instructions
- Prep the bread. Toast your bread slices until they're golden and crunchy. We're going for toasty, not burnt! Then, cut them into cubes. This is the secret to a great avocado panzanella.
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and cube the avocados. Peel and dice the onion. Half the green olives.
- Make the dressing. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Mix with the dressing: Add all salad ingredients to the bowl with the dressing-except the avocado. Give it a good mix. This lets all those delicious flavors get to know each other.
- Add the avocado cubes. Add the cubes last and toss very gently. This is key to keeping the avocado from turning into mush. We want beautiful, creamy chunks!
- Taste and serve. Give it a taste. Need more salt? A little extra splash of lemon? Go for it! Serve it up and enjoy.Best enjoyed fresh, but it will keep in the fridge until next day - just a heads-up that the bread might get a little soggy.
Notes
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FAQs
You can, like in the classic panzanella. But a dark, hearty loaf (like sourdough or a seeded whole grain) is perfect. It toasts up beautifully, holds its shape, and makes this chickpea panzanella extra filling and fiber-rich.
Yes, I particularly like adding cherry tomatoes for a fresh pop, and crunchy bell peppers are great too.
Sort of. You can chop everything and mix up the dressing in advance, but wait to toss the bread and avocado until just before serving. That way the bread stays crunchy, not soggy.
I'm always curious. Tried this vegan avocado panzanella? How did it go? I wanna hear all about it. How did you serve it?
Drop the details below because we all love a fun twist or a lesson learned.
Wishing you planty of avocado delights,
Ramona
♥
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