What day is it? What time is it? I’m in a tornado of last-minute cookbook details. Imagine a vortex of words, vegetables and papers with notes on them, swirling around a very frizzy-haired me in the middle. Then add Cookie running in circles around my feet, catching the crumbs and stray kale leaves. That’s about right.
With all the recipe testing, I’ve hardly been eating proper meals. Don’t worry, I’m not going hungry. I’m just eating bites here and there, all day long. I don’t remember the last time I ate a real sandwich, or a pita sandwich for that matter, so this recipe was a refreshing change of pace.
Basically, it’s a fresh, lemony broccoli and chickpea salad (lots of texture!) with Greek flavors, folded into a warm pita bread, with mashed avocado to keep it interesting. It’s fresh, delicious, and hearty.
I think the broccoli chickpea salad would be equally tasty on avocado toast, or if you want to take this idea and change it even further, you could use hummus instead of avocado. Then you would have double the chickpeas! Chickpeas offer a myriad of health benefits (they’re rich in protein, fiber, folate and more), and offer a lot of substance in this otherwise fresh and light meal.
You all know I’m a fan of beans, chickpeas, lentils and dry peas (called pulses, collectively), and I’m glad to be singing their praises during the United Nation’s International Year of Pulses. To learn more about the benefits of pulses, and to join me in taking the Pulse Pledge—a commitment to eating one serving of pulses every week (easy!)—visit PulsePledge.com.
Lemony Broccoli, Chickpea & Avocado Pita Sandwiches
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
These simple broccoli, chickpea and avocado pita sandwiches are a fresh lunch or dinner option. If you would like to have leftovers, store individual components separately, with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface of the mashed avocado to prevent oxidation (or, use hummus instead). Recipe yields 4 pita sandwiches, or 4 large toasts.
Ingredients
Broccoli chickpea salad
- 1 bunch of broccoli, florets removed and sliced thin
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped
- ⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese or thinly sliced Kalamata olives
Lemon dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey or maple syrup, to taste
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Everything else
- 2 medium avocados, or about ¾ cup of your favorite hummus
- Salt, to taste
- 4 whole grain pita breads, or 4 large, thick slices of hearty whole grain bread
Instructions
- To prepare the broccoli chickpea salad: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients as listed. Toss to combine.
- To prepare the lemon dressing: In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the ingredients as listed. Whisk the ingredients together until emulsified. Taste, and add additional salt if necessary. The dressing should be a little tart, but if it’s too tart, add a little more sweetener to balance the flavors. If it’s not tart enough for your liking, add a little more lemon juice.
- Pour the dressing over the broccoli chickpea salad and toss to combine. Set the bowl aside to marinate while you work on the rest.
- To make the mashed avocado, halve and pit the avocados, then scoop the flesh of the avocados into a bowl. Mash them with a pastry cutter or a fork until they are mostly mashed, and spreadable. Season with a pinch of salt, and add more to taste.
- To prepare the pita breads, warm them for a few minutes in the oven, or in a toaster oven, or even in the microwave. (If you’re using slices of bread, pop them in the toaster until golden.)
- Spread mashed avocado (or hummus) over one-half of the top surface of each pita round, and cover the other half with a few generous spoonfuls of broccoli chickpea salad. (If you’re serving on toast, spread avocado over the top surface of each slice, and spoon broccoli chickpea salad on top.) Serve immediately.
Notes
Make it vegan: Use Kalamata olives instead of feta, and maple syrup instead of honey.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
TRACEYLYN
I love love love this recipe. I heat mine up a little and serve it on sweet potato “toast”. I’ve been making it at least twice a month for several months now and I usually never make things twice. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Lauren Quinn
I was all set to make this when I noticed my husband had used up all the broccoli! Boo. I was going to throw in the towel, but figured I’d substitute spinach, and it ended up being delicious. I used hummus and avocado on the pita for a little extra flavor. Next time, I’ll guard the broccoli and try the original recipe. Thanks, Kate!
★★★★
Kate
That is always a bummer! But, I’m glad you still tried it. Thanks for stopping to review, Lauren!
Sarah Haussy
This tastes way better than I expected it to! Very filling and deliciously yummy flavors. Will be looking forward to having it for my lunch tomorrow!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Dalaire
Holy smokes, this is a wonderful recipe! The dressing makes it really special, but the combination of flavors is absolutely wonderful, and it came together in a jiffy.
Now, I did have to make a few adjustments this first time out. I somehow had no chickpeas on hand (?!), but I did have green lentils, which worked gorgeously, cooked just to soft and rinsed/cooled. I’m GF, so no pita. Instead, I simply cubed the avocado and let it play in the salad as it wished, then served it on lettuce. I’m also dairy-free, so I also cubed some almond mozzarella cheese and added a bit more lemon juice. (My son doesn’t like olives in anything but on a pizza, so no go on that change-up.)
Goodness, it was fantastic, and a HUGE hit with the boys. Definitely a -do-again, recipe, particularly on these increasingly warm afternoons!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you were able to make this work.
Anne
This was so good! Definitely will be a regular in my meal rotation. I used feta and olives in place of the tomato and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks, Anne!
Katie
I made the chickpea salad with a very similar dressing at had made earlier in the week and put it on warm pasta. It was awesome and I plan on making again for a potluck next week. Thanks much!
Kate
You’re welcome, Katie!
Lynneldaly@gmail.com
Broccoli, Chickpea, avocado sandwich was great! I steamed the broccoli lightly, used havash and did not put the honey or syrup tin the dressing. I added rare roast beef to my family’s sandwich along with shredded purple cabbage I had in my frog. Gave it a great crunch. Delish.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for your review!
Fiona Grant
Have eaten this for lunch for the last two days. It was delicious. Had the leftovers fried in butter with a fried egg in the middle on toast for breakfast. Was equally delicious, yum! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Fiona!
Stephanie
My friend and I made this for our families for dinner. It is a great meal to make in the summer. It is not heavy, but really filling. We doubled the recipe and we both have a lot leftover for the next day. We decided to steam the broccoli for about 3 minutes so that our kids would be more inclined to eat it. We both loved it. When I served it for dinner, I forgot to add the avocado. It definitely makes it so creamy and holds everything together. The flavors combined are like fireworks in your mouth.
★★★★★
Kate
I agree! A great summer meal. Thanks for sharing, Stephanie.
Jill Dabbs
I just bought your cookbook, I am SO excited, thank you for all your great veggie recipes!!!
Kate
I’m so excited you got it, Jill! Be sure to let me know what you think of it.
Jill Dabbs
We have had two dinners so far and oh.my.gosh. Yum!!! A few more like these and I’m going to scrap all my other cookbooks. Kate, you have a GIFT!!!
Denise
This was wonderful, light and refreshing for a summer meal. I was surprised how flavorful it was. The sun dried tomatoes gave t a nice little zip. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Denise!
Kelly
This was a great summer dinner! I feel like this would also make a great cold pasta salad.
★★★★★
Kate
I think that’s a great idea, Kelly!
Krystal
I love that your recipes use basic items, are quick to prepare, use healthy ingredients, and are always scrumptious! Thanks for yet another winner!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Krystal!
Faisal
I made these last night and they were refreshing, light, but filling. The dressing was perfect and not overpowering. Any ideas on how to make this spicier next time?
★★★★★
Kate
Add additional seasoning or red pepper flakes? Thank you for your review, Faisal!
Vanessa
Kate! This was delicious. I tried it two ways—oven warmed pita with avocado and griddle warmed pita with hummus—and I definitely preferred the hummus version. The filling was spot on in both. Way to go!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for your feedback, Vanessa!
Shivonne Lee Hernandez
Absolutely LOVE this! Tried it first time today with a few adjustments, used tomato sauce in absence of sundried tomatoes, fine shredded cheese(never buy feta), and no oinion,. (Only can handle them cooked usually!) And used the hummus substitute. It turned out SO GOOD, that my picky 6 year old had a few bite of my dinner lol! Made enough to have leftovers for myself for work tomorrow!definitely saved the link and will make again!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Shivonne!
Alexandria Phillips
Very yummy recipe. I doubled it and substituted half tahini and half cashew cream for the oil in the dressing. I was very happy with the outcome.
★★★★★
Amber Moodie-Dyer
This was sooo good, great combo. I actually roasted the broccoli and it was yummy that way too. I might try with roasted Brussels sprouts next time.
★★★★★
Da
Awesome as ever! My 16 year-old son gobbled this down. Fresh, easy, satisfying and stores like a dream! I know this is going to be even better tomorrow…if it lasts through the night.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Trina
We had these for dinner with the Kalamata Olives instead of feta. Nice refreshing flavor. I did add some oregano. Thank you.
Trina
★★★★★
Pavla
This is so so good. I have made the vegan version of this many times, I love the flavours. I always recommend this recipe to everyone!
★★★★★
Laurie Douglass-Wilson
So, I tried this as a salad by adding 2c finely shredded red cabbage and I doubled the dressing amount. I plopped a (big) scoop of mashed avocado on top. So yummy! I’m not supposed to have bread, but I saw the picture and I had to make it somehow. Next time, I think I might add a few raisins. :O) Thank you Cookie & Kate! You are truly the best! Now, for your ratatouille later in the week…mmmm.
★★★★★
Dori T
Hi there! I just made this for lunch today and it was fantastic! I wasn’t so sure because I am not typically a huge fan of broccoli, but I’ve found new way to eat it now. I did make it on the pita bread and didn’t have feta so substituted some cojita cheese I had, used local whipped honey, and a tiny bit of sunflower seeds. I didn’t have the sun-dried tomatoes but definitely want to try it with that soon. On the pita, I spread one half with hummus and one half with avocado just to be wild and crazy haha. It was sooo good! Thanks for the recipe that I know I’ll use again and again.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Dori! I love it. Thank you for sharing. I like that you got creative, great subs!
Myrtle
This was REALLY good, a definite keeper. Since we didn’t have Pita bread, I pressed some tortillas (made with Olive Oil). In place of hummus, we had/used baba ganoush. It was delish. We now call this dish “Mediterranean Tortillas”
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Myrtle! I bet baba ganoush was delicious.
Rachna
This was excellent!! Perfect for high temp and high humidity days! This light pita sandwich is doesn’t weigh you down and yet keeps you full and satisfied with a very hearty lunch. It’s super quick to put together and the marinated filling is even better the next day.
★★★★★
Meg
This recipe is amazing and the filling keeps well all week making it easy to prep for lunches and assemble the day of
★★★★★
Steffy Earnest
Tried it as a salad and absolutely loved it! Added roasted carrots as I did not have dried cranberries and it worked perfectly. The lemon dressing was on point! Will definitely make it again :) Thank You!
Nan
This is my new favorite salad/sandwich! The flavors push all the right buttons for me.
★★★★★
Nan
This is my new favorite salad/sandwich! The flavors push all the right buttons for me. I used sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Nan! I’m happy to hear it.
Sara
Thanks for this, and all the other wonderful recipes here, my partner and I gave up meat recently and this has been a wonderful resource for us.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you have been loving it, Sara! I appreciate your review.
Kat
This is a lunchtime staple for me and my family. Leftovers are amazing sautéed on pasta or avocado toast. My husband and stepdaughter love it. I make it at least once per week.
★★★★★
Dana
I have this recipe on summer repeat! I prefer a slightly bolder flavor, so I use your “liquid gold” salad dressing recipe from the cookbook instead and it’s perfect!
★★★★★
Jeanette
I have been making this once the weather has started warming up here in KY to have for lunches…. Tonight my 12 year old son asked for the recipe to learn to make it himself after running out of it yesterday. Yes- that is how good this is! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jeanette! Thank you for sharing.
Alene
What a wonderful idea! I didn’t have broccoli so I used baby spinach in place, and it was perfect. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Alene!
Teena Abraham
That surely looks like a heart meal. I would love to substitute this with some ginger flavoured chicken cubes!
I swapped the chickpeas with the fried gingar toasted chicken pieces. My family loved it
Francesca
Hi Kate, I could not wait to review this recipe! It is absolutely amazingly delicious!!! I had my reservations seeing the ingredients at first but then when we sat down to eat dinner last night, the yummy sounds kept coming; there was almost no talking because we were enjoying all the taste sensations! I love sourdough bread and so toasted several slices instead of the pita. I used black and green olives and also a sprinkle of feta. A truly crispy creamy satisfying meal. This one is a keeper and one to share!! Thank you, Francesca
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you are so excited about this recipe. Thanks for sharing how you served it!
Alak
Hi please can you share the recipe for the pita bread.
★★★★★
Ruch
Excellent recipe! I’ve made it 3 times in the past few weeks. It is so easy and we really enjoy this :) It has become a staple in our house!
★★★★★
Margaret Miller
Absolutely loved this! I made a few modifications for what I had on hand but mostly followed the recipe. I’m adding this to my lunchtime rotation. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Margaret! This one makes a great lunch.
Laurie
Yum! I used tortillas since I’m from CO. I also used both the sun dried tomatoes and the olives. Delicious!
★★★★★
Hayley
These were delicious; I made them with hummus & tried the salad both as toasts and in pitas – definitely prefer the pita version. Always nice to have another quick healthy lunch idea to make when I get bored of quinoa salads!
★★★★★
Petra
I made this today. I tried making pitas from scratch but it flopped, so defrosted and used tortillas instead. It was delicious nevertheless! I steamed the broccoli and also spread some toum garlic sauce on the wraps and it was amazing. Like everyone says, it’s filling yet not a heavy meal. Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Mara
WOW! Just WOW! This recipe was SO GOOD! We loved it and will be making and SHARING it often! NO cooking. Chop, chop, chop. Done. Easy Peasy! I’m going to have to buy that cook book of yours!
★★★★★
Lula
I love this recipe. In fact, it was one I choose to put on my menu. When I thought about what I wished to eat and make while I had to keep to myself, this had to be on my list even though my travel destination is cold and rainy :-). I make homemade flat breads to eat with it.
★★★★★
julie
I eat this as a salad with chopped avocado. It’s great!
Melissa Zahorujko
Everything I’ve made from your site has been AMAZING – i don’t think i’m ever going anywhere else for recipes again!!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you so much, Melissa.
Kristin A
This recipe is amazing! Seriously. Try it. We ended up eating this for dinner and roasted the broccoli and it turned out great.
★★★★★
CJ
Yum! The dressing really pulls it together
★★★★★
Rachel S
Have made multiple times now for our family. Delish! And I will definitely use this for some gatherings this summer!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Rachel.
Alisha
Just made this and all I can say is YUM! I did a few things differently, I found out I didn’t have chickpeas so I used a can of white beans instead,I added some diced celery, diced red bell pepper and cherry tomatoes and I used prepared honey mustard in the dressing. I made them as wraps with flat bread and added some fresh spinach. It was wonderful!
★★★★★
Nicole Larson
This was incredible! After the first bite, my partner turned to me and informed me this is the best dinner we have had in several months, maybe ever! And it was way speedier than usual! I used hummus since I don’t like avocado, and goat cheese instead of feta. Also added some chopped bell peppers. This will go into the usual rotation!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Nicole.
Kate Fitzpatrick
This is a keeper! One that will become a go to for a fast easy and delicious treat for the tastebuds!
★★★★★
Cinleia
This is so delicious! I will be making this every week! We did use naan instead of the pita and it was fantastic! Thank you for another amazing and healthy dish!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome Cinleia! Thank you for your review.
Annie
Delicious! I added extra feta and smoked paprika, which I recommend. My kids weren’t fans, but what else is new. They just ate the pita with smashed avocado. I’ll definitely make this again!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Annie! I’m happy to hear you loved it.
Rebecca
This is super delicious! I usually don’t like raw broccoli or sun dried tomatoes but the pictures looked tempting and all of the recipes I’ve tried here have been excellent so I made it as written and I love it! The crunch from the broccoli added great texture. I would highly recommend this, it’s both light and filling. It comes together fast and without using the stove (!), perfect on a hot day. Love it. Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Rebecca! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Samantha
This is great! Made it for a craft day’s lunch with a vegetarian friend.
We ate it as a salad. Made it exactly as written in the recipe except for cubed avocado instead of mashed. I went heavy on the lemon. Used feta, didn’t include olives.
We finished the entire bowl! I will be keeping this recipe.
★★★★★
Caleb
We love this! We make it frequently and it always pleases, we even mix it up and use whatever veg we have on hand from the CSA that week.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Caleb. Thank you for your review!
Heather
Another Kate recipe that is so much greater than the sum of its parts! I have had this on my list of recipes to try for a while now, and finally served it for dinner during the heat wave. Something magic happens to turn all those simple ingredients into a 5-star meal. I served it in coconut wraps to make it gluten free, and used a nice block of feta which I crumbled myself- makes a big difference! I also marinated it for an hour (because I had to pick up kids from practice), and it got even better over time. This will definitely stay in our main dinner rotation. Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Heather! I’m glad this one made your list to make.
jean m nielson
I made this dish and both my husband and I love it!!! The only thing I’ll do next time is slightly crush the chickpeas in my blender…only because we are messy eaters!!!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Jean! Thank you for your review.
Holly M Kiper
Delicious! Wonderful bright flavor. Very filling. Will eat again and again.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Holly! Thank you for your review.
Courtney
This recipe is unbelievably delicious. My boyfriend who is a picky carnivore LOVED this dish. Will be making for lunches.
★★★★★
Tracy
I’m mostly a chickpeas are fine in falafel or hummus kind of pulses eater, but this recipe was really delicious! Looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow.
Sofie
I can’t believe how good this one is, although I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised as I’ve never been disappointed by a single one of Kate’s recipes. But I mostly made it because I’d been feeling really sluggish and eating poorly for a few days and it sounded light and healthy- I wasn’t wildly excited about broccoli and chickpeas. Its completely delicious. The texture and balance of flavors is perfect. I made a huge batch and I’ve basically been living off it the last few days. Made almost exactly as suggested, I just left out the sun-dried tomatoes because I’m not a huge fan.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Sofie! Thank you for sharing.
Melissa G.
I made a few minor adjustments for my taste (including steaming the broccoli for a few minutes) but this was SOOOOO delicious
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you were able to enjoy it, Melissa!
Sammy
LOVE this recipe! I’m GF so I eat the salad on its own and it is absolutely phenomenal. Every time I make it for family or friends they ask for the recipe and it’s become expected that this salad is what I bring to BBQs and family lunches now.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! Yes, the salad is delicious on it’s own.
Katherine
Obsessed with this recipe!! Every time I remember it exists I make it and it never disappoints.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Katherine! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Donna Tantillo
All your recipes look so good, but I’m a diabetic and I am unable to have your recipes with carbs over 32g. Maybe in your notes you could show how to modify your recipe to fit into my diet like you do for vegan diets.
Thank you,
Donna
Kate
Hi Donna, I don’t provide nutritional adaptions, sorry.