Summer salads are back people, and they’re back with bang! Spicy, textured, fresh and satisfying – this Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe will whisk you off your feet for sure.
Gone are the days of boring salads. I’m here to bust the myth that salads have to be all leaves and no fun. No disrespect to the original garden salad, but there’s a whole world of exciting ways to spice up your salad recipes.
This Roasted Chickpea Salad is crispy and varied, and there’s not one soggy leaf in sight. It really packs in that flavour too; sweet, spicy and nutty. The trick with salads is to get some healthy slow release veggies in, as well as some protein; that way you’ll have a salad that really does satisfy you and you won’t be left hungry.
The Ingredients
One of the reasons that this salad recipe is so fresh and exciting is the base ingredients. Don’t get me wrong, I love a kale or lettuce salad too, in fact i’m a lover of all salads, but sometimes it’s way more fun to scrap the notion that salads have to be green. Why not have a bright, fiery salad with bursts of red and orange?
Roasted butternut squash is a fantastic salad ingredient, as its nutty, sweet flavour and soft texture mingles so well with the other ingredients. Avocado chunks provide the perfect balance of healthy fats against veggie based carbs and brings a smooth, mellow freshness.
The Romano red peppers are possibly my favourite part of this recipe. They are sweet, summery and juicy – you can sub with bell peppers if you can’t find them but if you can, try and get the Romano as they are sweeter and just tastier in my opinion.
Now for the magic ingredients; roasted chickpeas and almonds. These are really the stars of the show; providing a crunchy texture and a delicious roasted spiced flavour. Plus, you’re getting all that plant powered goodness in with a big boost of natural protein. Feel free to sub the almonds with cashews or walnuts if you prefer.
The Spices
Roasting the chickpeas and almonds with spices just takes them to the next level. Not only does the process bring out those deep, warm, nutty flavours, but the addition of a bit of heat and extra flavour is so delicious. The trick is to pick your spices wisely to strike the right balance of sweet, spice and heat.
I went for a combination of paprika and cumin for that smoky sweetness, and some dried rosemary for a bit of herby ‘zing’.
The Dressing
This spicy almond butter dressing is one of my all time favourites. Nut butters go so unbelievably well with spices in a savoury sauce (check out my Thai peanut butter tofu recipe for another example), and almond butter is no exception. The nuttiness compliments the sweet pepper and smooth avocado and really brings this salad to life. Along with the toasted sesame oil, nutritional yeast and almond milk, this dressing really centres around those mellow nutty flavours. It’s also maple free for those of you trying to cut down on your sugars.
Harissa is the shining star in this mix – bright, fiery and smoky, the flavour profile is just unmatched. It mingles so well with that nutty flavour profile and provides that perfect level of heat. I went for just 1/4 tsp as it’s quite strong but if you’re a hottie, feel free to crank up the chilli o meter. Just start with a little, taste and adjust accordingly. I don’t want to blow your tastebuds off!
Enjoy this Roasted Chickpea Salad on a summer evening as a nutritious and flavourful dinner, or bring it along to your next BBQ as a show stopping side. Either way, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Roasted Chickpea Salad
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large sweet romano red peppers, seeds removed + chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed + cut in 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- 2 tins chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 15 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
Spicy Almond Butter Dressing
- 2.5 tbsp almond butter
- 1/4 tsp harissa
- 1 tsp coconut aminos (or maple if you prefer)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 confit garlic clove, or 1/2 small raw clove, minced
- 1 tsp dijon
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180 fan.
- Place the butternut squash to a greaseproof lined baking tray. Toss with 1 tbsp of oil and salt. Roast for 10 minutes.
- Add the peppers to the butternut and toss to combine. Push to one side of the baking tray and on the other half of the baking tray add the chickpeas, almonds, paprika, cumin, rosemary, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for a further 20 minutes until golden.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small blender, coffee grinder or place in a bowl and use a stick blender. Blend until smooth. Option to use a hand balloon whisk in a bowl if you prefer. Adjust seasoning and heat with harissa to taste.
- Toss roasted veggies and chickpea mix with dressing, avocado and coriander
