This Chickpea & Avocado Spread is easy to make and is dreamy atop baked potatoes and yams, corn tortillas, green salads, or as a dip for vegetables. Fresh oregano and Meyer lemon combine in a unique flavor for a little something special.
Ingredients
2 medium ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 tablespoon Dijon or stoneground mustard
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons minced, fresh oregano
2 teaspoons lemon juice (Meyer lemons are great here)
¼ cup chopped red onion (optional)
1 can (15-oz.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1-1/2 cups home-cooked)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, combine everything but the chickpeas, blending with a fork and mashing the avocado as you go.
2. Add the chickpeas, and mash them into the avocado using a fork or a bean masher. I usually like to mash the chickpeas just until they pop open and a few are still whole.
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Makes: about 2 cups
Nutrients per serving (1/4 cup): calories (134), fat (8 g), carbohydrate (13 g), protein (4 g), sodium (27 mg), fiber (6 g), sugar (2 g).
NOTES
Lemon juice: As noted above, Meyer lemons are perfect in this recipe, as they are a bit sweeter and less tart than regular lemons (see photo and description below). They are seasonal, so they show up in stores intermittently; but whenever I see them, I make sure to grab a few to squeeze over fruit or put in my herbal tea.
Herbs: If you are not an oregano fan, you can also use fresh basil, cilantro or parsley in its place.
Avocado: Avocados are a high-fat plant food, which means they are higher in calories (about 320) than many other plant foods (apples have about 95 calories). Feel free to scale back the avocado for a lower-fat dish.
On baked potatoes: This spread is great on baked potatoes. The way I prepare my potatoes is to cut the potatoes and/or yams lengthwise and bake uncovered in a 9×13-inch baking dish for 70-75 minutes at 375 degrees. When I make these, I always make a lot so I can eat them as leftovers and snacks. They should be very soft, like pudding inside, when done, with a little sugar bubbling from the top.
Above: Oregano is a culinary herb used for its highly aromatic and slightly bitter leaves. It is related to the herb “sweet marjoram” but is more pungent and balsamic. Oregano is popular in Italian, Greek and Mexican cooking and is also known as “wild marjoram.”
Above: Meyer lemons are a cross between an orange and a lemon, and are sweeter and more fragrant than common supermarket lemons. They are a deep yellow color when ripe and are rounder than a true lemon, and have smoother skin. Meyer lemons became more popular in the United States starting in the 1970s and ’80s after being rediscovered by high-profile chefs, including Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) and Martha Stewart.
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I absolutely love mashes like this. Made one last week and enjoyed it for days atop some toasted Ezekial bread, but I never thought to put it on top of sweet potatoes. I love that idea! Thank you! I’ve got another ripe avocado that needs to be used up!
Yay! That mash recipe looks great. Thanks Wendy!
Thanks for sharing this recipe, it sounds delicious!
I am definitely trying this, it looks awesome!!
Thanks for the recipe, Cathy! I just made it and my teenage son and I both love it.
That’s great Connie! I love to hear what kids/teens like.
All I can say is wow, Cathy! Made it today. Followed recipe exactly except that I used 1/2 the amount of dried oregano instead of fresh (did not have fresh oregano). Also, I baked the spuds as you suggested (that was good, too – we like the crusty brown cut side). Smeared the spread on a baked Yukon Gold. OMG! This is great! We eat a lot of baked potatoes and yams, and I can see a lot of this spread in our future. Thanks! Pam in Sacramento
Hi Pam, thanks for the feedback…yay! So glad you like it. It’s a fun combo.
Just made these with Yukon Gold potatoes and fresh parsley. The best!
Does this recipe use a large or small can of chick peas?
Hi Mary Kay, thank you for catching that, I just added an ounce size. It’s 15 ounces.
Pretty cool!
Great recipe! I would recommend not using canned chickpeas though. Make them from dried and avoid canned food chemicals. (They freeze well after you have cooked them.)
Hi Cathy:
I think you do an amazing job! I made this spread/dip and it was unbelievably delicious!
I have also made your mushroom soup then made it again but used cauliflower in it – fantastic. I have a go-to recipe and that is the Curry Sauce – whole family just loves it!
Write your book PLEASE!!!!
Thanks for your wonderful work and the teaching you do – I have not found any other web site that explains the ingredients, etc. You are really helping me become a cook – no that is inaccurate – an SOS Cook!!!
Kate
Calgary, AB
Hi Kate! Wow, thanks for your comment! I’m so happy that you are enjoying the recipes, woo hoo!! I like the cauliflower idea, too! Yes, I’m chugging away on the cookbook, and thanks for the kudos, SOS cook extraordinaire!
I am so happy, to have found you. Have tried so many of your recipes and love everything I have prepared. Today I am making the avocado and chickpea spread. There are so many things I want to try. You are the best, and I am feeling so much better physically. Thank you Ellie
Ah, love to hear that Ellie! Glad to be a part of your feeling better.
Made this today — whipped it up in 2 minutes using my food processor — I used only 1 avocado and lots of fresh garlic — served it with chips made with brown rice tortillas — so yummy and healthy!
Friggen yum!