Your new go-to salad with simple, delicious flavors – it’s a crispy chickpea salad recipe.

Roasted chickpeas for a flavorful crunch, homemade dressing, and shaved Parmesan cheese. This crispy chickpea salad is a modern twist on the classic Caesar. Great for your next lunch, light dinner, or even a side dish. Want the recipe?

 

 

This recipe makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

For the chickpeas:

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the dressing:

• ¾ cup olive oil
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon chopped capers
• Salt & ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, cut into spears or chopped
• ½ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
• Lemon wedges for garnish

How to Make a Crispy Chickpea Salad

Make the crispy chickpeas

I have a separate recipe for the chickpeas that is so delicious and adds the perfect crunch. Great substitute for croutons and adds some protein.

Make the dressing

1. Add the olive oil, grated Parm, egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, and capers to the bowl of a food processor. 

2. Process until the ingredients are emulsified into a smooth dressing consistency.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste, then pulse until thoroughly combined.

Notes / Substitutions

The egg & olive oil in the dressing work together to create an emulsion, which gives the dressing its creamy texture. If you don’t have (or don’t want to use) eggs, omit the egg and olive oil and replace it with ¾ cup of mayonnaise, tahini, or plain Greek yogurt.

I recommend grating your own Parmesan if at all possible, because it is much softer and creamier in texture, which lends itself to the creaminess of a standard Caesar dressing. You can, however, use pre-grated Parm if needed.

I also recommend fresh-grinding your black pepper, if you can.

Make it vegan: If you want to make this recipe vegan, you can do a few things:

1. Swap out the Parmesan cheese for a vegan cheese in the dressing and as garnish, or skip it altogether.
2. Replace the egg/olive oil in the dressing with a vegan mayo or tahini. Be sure to skip the Worcestershire sauce too, since it typically contains anchovy paste or fish sauce. You can use a vegan Worcestershire sauce such as Whole Foods’ 365 brand, Annie’s Naturals, or your preferred vegan-friendly brand.

Assemble the salad

1. Prepare and arrange the romaine lettuce onto a serving platter.

To prepare your romaine lettuce, first remove any browning or wilted leaves from the outside of the head. Cut off the bottom inch or so where the base attaches to the leaves and discard or compost the hard base (or save it to propagate a new head in water). Cut the head in half lengthwise, then remove the core and discard or compost. Rinse the remaining halves under cold water and then pat dry with a towel. Cut into 2-inch wide spears, length-wise, then leave as-is for presentation, or chop into fork-sized pieces.

To save time, you can use pre-cut, pre-bagged romaine. Typically, it is pre-washed as well, so you can skip that step. Baby romaine works fine too.

Note / Substitutions 

If you can’t get romaine, you can use another variety of lettuce that has firm leaves, such as Little Gem or iceberg, or a different leafy green like endive or kale. You’ll want to choose something that is cool and crisp so it can stand up to the other ingredients, but with a mild flavor so as to not work against the bold flavors of the dressing.

2. Spoon the roasted chickpeas over the romaine.

3. Sprinkle the shaved Parm over the chickpeas. Or to make things easy, you can use grated parmesan, like your did for the dressing.

4. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. 

And it’s ready to serve! This dish is a great source of fiber, thanks to the roasted chickpeas. But for even more protein, consider pairing it with  grilled chicken, salmon, or seitan.

For more recipes like this one, be sure to check out my most popular easy summer salads. The greek hummus platter listed there is a great way to reuse some of those chickpeas too.

 

 

 

That’s all for this crispy chickpea salad. Let me know what you think if you give this recipe a try! The homemade dressing would be a great addition to other salads as well.

Crispy roasted chickpeas for the win! I could eat these like candy…granted, they’d be a savory and nutritious candy. But you know what I’m saying.

Roasted chickpeas aren’t just great toppers for soups and salads. They’re also delicious as a protein and fiber packed snack on their own. I love adding these crispy chickpeas in place of croutons when I need a little crunch in a dish. But to make sure I use up every last one, I snack on ’em too. Would be great in a kids lunchbox, as a chip alternative as well.

Want the recipe? 

Roasted Chickpea Recipe 

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

How to Make Crispy Chickpeas

Heat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss the chickpeas in the olive oil, then spread them onto your baking sheet in a single, even layer.

Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.

Sprinkle the spice mixture over the par-roasted chickpeas, then give the pan a shake to toss the chickpeas and coat them all over.

Return the chickpeas to the oven, and roast for another 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and browned. Set aside to cool.

Recipe Notes

Roasted chickpeas are a great source of fiber, making them a perfect vegetarian snack. 

You may be wondering why it’s necessary to roast the chickpeas in two batches. This process works best for getting the chickpeas super crispy. If you prefer, you can oil & season in one step and roast for 25-30 minutes, but please note that the chickpeas won’t be quite as crispy.