Lemony Broccoli, Chickpea & Avocado Pita Sandwiches
This simple pita sandwich recipe features a fresh broccoli and chickpea slaw with Greek flavors, on a pita with mashed avocado!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
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
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
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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!
These ROCK, Kate! They are the most unassuming, easiest pitas to put together yet packed with such taste and texture. My boyfriend has requested them for dinner the past 3 weeks and I am completely on the same page. You did it again! SO excited for this cookbook of yours…
Thank you so much, Tory! Hooray!
OMGosh!!! This recipe is simply divine! And so easy and healthy. Thanks!
Hooray! Thanks, Karen!
This recipe has become one of our weekly lunchtime staples. We all love it. We also love the Greek lentil and spinach salad. Thank you so much for posting such delicious recipes! Lunch is a difficult meal to make interesting–fast.
Thank you, Kelly! That’s great to hear.
Hi Kate, this is the third recipe of yours we attempted, and the third recipe that is a winner with my mixed omnivore/vegetarian/vegan family. Thank you! We used the olives for all sandwiches, and also used the feta for all except the vegan teen. We used warmed Trader Joe’s flatbread in place of the pitas, and roasted the broccoli in the oven @ 400 for 15 minutes before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise, all as you instructed. Filling, healthy, and very tasty. : )
This is seriously amazing. My entire family LOVED it. It is so simple but packs a ton of flavor and has all the right textures. I glanced the broccoli until bright green with a little crunch left. THANK YOU!!!!
Made these pita’s for dinner today and I loved ❤️ them. Like I love all your recipes I have tried! I thought I didn’t like black olives, but now I am addicted to Kalamatas and want to eat them every day. Thank you Kate for your delicious recipes!!!
It turned out SO yummy! I tried it with romaine lettuce instead of pita bread and it was still so delicious.
Just made this ! So flavorful & filling ! Thank you!
I just made this. I took one bite and immediately picked up my phone because I HAD to leave a comment…..then I set the phone down so I could use two hands to finish devouring my dinner! This is seriously delicious. I roasted the broccoli because I am a sucker for roasted veggies, and also included half a head of roasted cauliflower since I needed to use it up. I used pepperoncini peppers in lieu of feta, and I spread jalapeño hummus in my wrap. Wow! And it came together super fast. Ten thumbs up!
My two year old is currently grabbing the filling by the fistful and shoving it in her mouth. So the whole family approves!
Thank you for your note, Elizabeth! Your version sounds really incredible. So glad you and your family are enjoying this one.
This is one of my favorite easy recipes on your site. I’ve made it at least three or four times now. I tend to just eat it alongside warm pita, open faced on toast, or even by itself or a side salad. One of my favorites to make at the beginning of the week and have on hand for easy work lunch or to snack on. Because I don’t eat it all at once, I usually use a smidge less dressing and it soaks in all week. Seriously delicious and makes you feel healthy just for eating it.
So happy these are on regular rotation, Rebecca! Filling, healthy, & delicious are my top three favorite things about a recipe. Glad this hit all of them!
This recipe is fantastic! It also keeps well for lunches during the week. Followed the recipe almost exactly but added a splash of white balsamic vinegar to the dressing. Delicious!!
Ooh, that balsamic sounds delicious, too.
We agree that this is our favorite meal ever from C&K – thank you!!!
We lightly sauteed the brocollini (not broc), used lightly sauteed mushrooms chopped coursely instead of chickpea, the olives, fresh chopped tomato and nan instead of pita. OMG! amazing! Thanks again, we love love your site.
You’re welcome, Andy & Meg! Naan sounds like a *delicious* substitute, too.
I made these for lunches this week and we LOVE them. Seriously.. I could just live off of Cookie+Kate recipes- can’t wait for the cookbook! Thanks for yet another awesome recipe! <3
Yay, thank you so much, Laura! Can’t wait for you to see the cookbook. Hope you find lots of new favorites in there!
This looks SO good! I will be saving this one to try.
Just had to comment on how cute Cookie is too!
Just found your site, looking forward to poking around lots.
Thank you, Kate, this is fabulous! I was looking for some new taste and inspiration and your recipes never fail me. The dressing is fantastic and the dried tomato is a must. I will definitely make this again. Thanks again, Sandra
Wonderful, Sandra! Those sun-dried tomatoes provide a really nice dash of sweetness.
Made this for lunch today. Forgot to add sundried tomatoes, but it was still delicious!
That works! Happy this worked well for you, Charissa.
This dish wash phenomenal! I love lemon so I made extra sauce for the salad. Also, I did not have pita bread or avocado on hand. However, my wife and I still tore into the dish as though we had not eaten in days. This will be a staple mark in our kitchen!
I’m glad it still worked out so well, Amber!
We loved this, even the meataholics. I left out the onions, and used spicy hummus in place of the avocado. My 4 year old looked a little leery of it at first, but ate a big serving without the pita. Day 2 of our meat free dinner week was a success with this.
Made this recipe for the first time today and it was delicious! So many good flavors, and kept me full the rest of the day. Definitely a new lunch staple for me. Thanks!
Hooray! So glad you enjoyed it. It’s a really simple, filling meal. Thanks, Olivia!
Wow!!!! Recipe #2 of yours that I’ve tried- delicious!!! Not only is it beautiful but the combination of flavors and textures is incredible. I highly recommend it if anyone is looking for a light and fresh meal with bold flavors. I used homemade hummus instead of the avocado as they’re never ripe in the store when you need them to be…anyone else notice this coincidence?? Anyway, love it, love it, love it!! Will definitely be getting your cookbook- can’t wait! Thanks…
I’m so glad you were so happy with this, Nikki! I love these pita sandwiches, too. And that avocado phenomenon happens to me *all* the time. I love the hummus substitution! Thanks again.
This is the best pita sandwich I’ve ever had. It was simply fantastic.
Awesome! Thanks, Mitzi!
This was one of the best sandwiches I ever had! I love lemon so I used equal parts lemon juice & olive oil, along with the zest of one lemon. Oh, and double the feta :) Our avocado was too hard to mash so we just sliced it. So delicious!
Yum! Sounds zesty and delicious, Dharma.
Added the “Best Darn Guacomole” to this, and it was a party in my mouth! So quick to put together after a long day, and it fills you up. 5 stars!
Sounds delicious, Audrey! What a great combination.
Delicious!
Hooray!
Kate,
Do you know the nutritional value? Protein, Fats, and carbs?
I don’t love raw chickpeas and usually get them out of a can – do you have a suggestion for how to cook them or make them a little softer before putting them in this salad?
Thanks!
This is soooo good!!! I’m new to the vegetarian life and after spending an overwhelming weekend printing recipes, I got to cooking. This was such a hit for myself and my carnivorous hubby. Seriously so yummy and easy to make. I did roast some of my broccoli and add some hot sauce but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. Thank you for making vegetarian cooking easy, fun and tasty!
Love this recipe because of the different combination of ingredients! When I made this recipe, I baked the broccoli(sprinkled with chopped garlic, salt and pepper) for 25 minutes instead of using raw broccoli and it was delicious!
I made the Lemony Broccoli, Chickpea and Avocado Pitas and they were out of this world. Definitely recommend them!
Thanks, Eileen!
Is the broccoli raw or cooked?
It is raw!
This is one of my very favorites! I usually roast the broccoli and sometimes throw cauliflower in there as well. I also use green onions instead of red. With any combination – I always turns out delicious! We eat it as a sandwich or just on it’s own as a salad! Yummmmm
Thank you, Doreen for your comment and review. I really appreciate it!
My daughter and I loved this! We put the filling on a bed of spinach and most of it so I am going to quick make more so my husband can have some when he gets home from work. Great recipe!
Great! Thank you for your comment and review, Morgan.
Made this today – thanks for such a great summer dinner recipe! ✨
You are welcome! Thank you, Alice for your comment. If you would want to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
I made this last night! Very easy, quick and delicious dinner.
I’m glad to hear it, Sarah. :)
Omg this was soooo good!
Great!!
I literally saw this recipe 30 minutes ago! I whipped it up and ate it as a salad without the avocado or pita. It is SO yummy…The lemony broccoli combined with the creamy garbanzo beans is a perfect combination! Thx Kate!
I love when that happens! Thank for the comment and review, Sylvia.
Hi Kate
New to your site but looking forward to trying this broccoli chickpea avocado pita recipe. Is there a reason there was an asterisk by the sun dried tomatoes listed in recipe? Are they in oil or dried?
Thanks,
Sandy
Sandy, thank you for bring that to my attention! I’ve clarified in the recipe.
Made this and made some changes. I added mushrooms and pan fried the garbanzo beans, mushrooms, broccoli and sun dried tomatoes. The wife and I were drooling as we at it. Will be making this again.
Glad you were able to customize it to your liking! Thanks for sharing, JW.
These were awesome! Another great dish that will go to work with me tomorrow and I’ll tell my coworkers it is from my best friend Cookie & Kate. I literally make something from your cookbook or blog 2-3 times a week.
I wasn’t sure how this would be as a “sandwich” but it was amazing. Thanks again for your creativity and flavor combinations!
Best friend! :) Well thanks. I really appreciate the love and support, Marcia!
I am going to be making this on repeat – so, so, so delicious! Flavorful and perfectly balanced. We used olive hummus, so put feta in the filling instead of olives, AND added avocado in the pita. But really, I am perfectly happy just eating the filling as a salad, too. YUM!
On repeat, I love it! Thanks for the review.
About 10 months ago, my 17 year old daughter told me that she found that she felt better when she ate more vegetables, and wanted to be vegetarian. I had always included vegetables in our meals, but did not have nearly enough know-how in my recipe box for a full on vegetarian diet. This website saved me. I cook two or three recipes from your site every week, and add a “side dish” of meat for the boys in our family. I have found that I feel better with a plant based diet as well. And, because there are so many veggie doubters out there, not only do I feel better, but I just got back from my doctor, and she said I am the healthiest person she has seen in a long time. My blood work showed that these vegetables are doing marvelous things in my body.
This is our favorite recipe. The boys even scarfed this down and wanted seconds (sadly no leftovers for me).
Thank you so much for all of the work you put into this website. I recommend you to everyone I meet. You have given me the gift of good health, and I will be forever grateful.
So happy to hear the blog has been such a great resource for you, Tricia! Lifestyle with whole foods can do wonders. I’m glad to hear things are going so well. I love hearing from you! Thanks so much for the review.
This was dinner tonight and was just the thing for a light meal for my college age daughter and me. We both agree light, bright spring/summer food like this is the best! I’m not a big fan of raw broccoli so steamed it just a bit in the microwave and let it cool before adding to the salad.
I’m glad you were able to enjoy it, Carol! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the review.
AH-MAY-ZING. There is not a single part of this that I would change or did not enjoy – the flavours are absolutely beautiful together.
Now permanently a part of our repertoire – Thank you!!
Well, thank you! I love that. Thanks for your review!
Yummm! This was delicious and hubs and I will definitely make again! Perfect for a hot night when you don’t want to cook over a stove/oven. We did it with feta (not an olive fan) on toast instead of pita. Delighted to find that we have enough for a second night tomorrow, too. Thanks, Kate!
Lovely! Thank you, Julia for sharing.
This recipe instantly became one of my family’s favorites. I’ve never cared for feta, so we always used the olives, we’ve made it both with pickled olives and olives in brine. Both work, but the flavor balance is different. 1 recommendation is to make sure that the sun dried tomatoes are not too big.
I love that, Peter! Thanks for your review.
I’ve been making Cookie & Kate recipes for the past year and absolutely love them. We found a couple staple recipes that kept us going through a season of long commutes; we moved recently and I am looking forward to using some of our newfound time to try out more! Made this recipe last night for the first time. My husband’s response after one bite was “Wow!” Love being able to make something delicious that is quick and easy, and doesn’t even involve turning on the stove.
I’m so happy you are loving my recipes! So great to hear from you. Thanks for your review!
Hi Kate, What would be the gluten-free suggestion for this recipe? Thank you :)
Just use gluten-free tortillas of your liking. It works well!
Just made this for my three kids (age 9, 8, 5) and it was a huge hit all around – delicious! A perfect summer supper.
Hooray! That’s great, Gretchen. Thanks for your review.
Loved this! I found the mustard way too strong but as the recipe says you can totally add honey :) it was surprisingly filling too.
Thanks for sharing, Erin!
I just made this delicious recipe with roasted Brussels (instead of broccoli), kale, and cannellini beans (in lieu of chickpeas). Very tasty!
I do love Brussels sprouts! Thanks for sharing, Carter.
Yet another super delicious meal. Thanks! I’ve made the salad ahead but will prepare the avocado shortly before each meal.
Thanks, Miriam! I’m happy to hear that. Thanks so much for sharing.
I just made these for lunch for myself and my husband and they were absolutely delicious! I have never used raw brocolli in a recipe but it worked perfectly, adding some crunch to the texture. Each mouthful was a wonderful explosion of the freshest flavours.
Great, Jill! Thank you for your review!