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I love making this Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad and serving it to family or friends who gather around our table. Everyone loves it and I get frequent requests for the recipe.I thought you'd enjoy it too as this warm salad is healthy, super delicious and perfect for entertaining. The best part? The work can all be done ahead of time!
Every element of this salad is wonderful but when you combine them all together, oh my! Roasted peppers, red onion and sweet cherry tomatoes, warm Kalamata olives, crispy, spicy chickpeas, tender Israeli couscous, buttery, toasted pinenuts and a plethora of fresh herbs come together to create a delightful side for just about any entree. Drizzle it all over with a flavorful garlic-lemon dressing and you've got heaven on a veggie lover's plate!
Lots of flexibility in this salad
This healthy Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad is super versatile. I've subbed both quinoa and black rice at different times for the Israeli couscous. Farro, pearled barley or wheat berries would also be delicious.
If you can't find pretty cherry tomatoes, just skip them or add diced plum tomatoes. Pistachios, cashews or toasted pecans would be a great swap for the pine nuts. And sometimes I add crumbled Feta or shaved Parmesan to this salad; both are super delish! See what I mean? Lots of flexibility!
Pairs nicely with chicken, pork, beef...
I've served this salad with both grilled and rotisserie chicken, pork tenderloin and grilled steaks. It pairs well with all of these entrees and I love that it includes both veggies and a starch/grain so the meal is complete. Of course, no one complains if there's a basket of crusty warm bread on the table like this Overnight No-Knead Brioche Bread!
It also makes a wonderful vegetarian meal stuffed into warm pitas and topped with Feta and a drizzle of the delicious dressing.
Check out the recipe and add the ingredients to your shopping list. I think you're going to love this salad as much as we do and I know your family and friends will give it a big thumbs up!
P.S. I almost forgot to tell you one of the best parts; the leftovers are wonderful for quick meals and work/school lunches!
Café Tips for making this Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad
- Feel free to use any color bell pepper. I used one red and one yellow for my dish.
- I like to slice the red onion into pretty little fans for this salad. This is how to do that: cut a small slice off of the stem end of the onion. Keep the root end intact. Set the onion, with the cut side down, on a work surface and halve it vertically. Peel off the skin and tough outer layer of the onion. Cut into wedges, each time, cutting through the root end. In other words, each little wedge will be held together by a bit of the root. When the onion is roasted it will stay intact but will fan out a bit, creating a pretty presentation.
- I love the combination of dill and mint in this salad for really fresh flavor but I've also used combinations of basil, cilantro, parsley and chives, all with delicious results. Just be sure to use plenty of fresh herbs.
- Whole Foods has big, beautiful bunches of fresh dill (and sometimes mint) year-round for $1.99 - definitely one of the better buys at WFs.
- This Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad can be served on individual plates or on a large platter.
- Sometimes I add thin slices of Sopressta or Chorizo to this salad to make it a little more hearty.
- If I'm serving this salad to guests I like to prep everything in advance. This is what I do:
- Cut the peppers and onions and store them in a zippered bag or airtight storage container.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the spice mixture in a small bowl, cover and set aside.
- Drain the chickpeas well, place in an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Prepare the Israeli couscous (or other grain such as quinoa, farro, etc.)
- Wash the tomatoes and set aside.
- Toast the pinenuts, cool and cover.
- Make the dressing and refrigerate.
- I even go as far as lining two sheet pans with foil so I'm all set to go.
- Twenty minutes before serving all I have to do is preheat the oven, gather my prepped ingredients and combine them on the sheet pans, as directed.
- While the veggies are beginning to roast, I halve the tomatoes and add them after 5 minutes, as directed.
- Just before serving, I warm the Israeli Couscous for 2-4 minutes in the microwave on 20% power.
Thought for the day:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
And the earth was without form and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good:
and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis 1:1-5
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Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
For the spice mixture:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated or mashed to a paste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Israeli couscous:
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Israeli Couscous
For the roasted veggies:
- 2 medium yellow or orange bell peppers, or a combination, stems and seeds removed, sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick
- 2 cups colored cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large red onion, sliced into wedges (leave the root end intact)
- 2 medium jalapeños, stem and seeds removed, sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the crispy chickpeas;
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- spice mixture (above)
To finish the salad:
- 1 cup fresh herbs, any combination of parsley, cilantro, mint or dill
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Instructions
For prep:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees and arrange racks on the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Line two sheet pans with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Combine the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and ½ teaspoon salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
For the dressing:
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Set aside.
For the couscous:
- While the oven is preheating, prepare the couscous. Bring broth to a boil then add couscous and reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer for 8 minutes. Drain couscous well, drizzle lightly with olive oil and stir to coat. Set aside.
For the roasted veggies and chickpeas:
- Combine drained chickpeas with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on one of the prepared sheet pans. Shake the pan gently to coat the chickpeas with oil. Sprinkle with the prepared spice mixture and shake the pan again to combine.
- On the second sheet pan, combine bell peppers, onion and jalapeños with the 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the vegetables into one layer.
- Place the chickpea pan on the bottom rack and vegetables on the top rack and roast for 5 minutes. Remove veggie pan from the oven and add the halved tomatoes. Drizzle the tomatoes lightly with a bit more olive oil and return pan to the oven. After a total of 12 minutes, remove both pans from the oven.
To finish the salad:
- Arrange couscous on a large platter. Top with the veggies, then the chickpeas. Drizzle with half of the dressing. Top with fresh herbs and pine nuts. Pass extra dressing in a small bowl at the table, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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I realy love all season salads like this one. It can be served cold in summer, hot in winter & warm in spring & Autumn/fall.
It is really packed with good & nourishing nutrition that is also affordable if on a budget.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I’d love to share it with a health chat group I belong to, & with my community group working in food & fuel poverty communities, do
I have your permission to do so? I will of course add full accreditation for you & info on your website, so they can find more recipes?
I live in the UK, & We have a big Community Event coming up in June as part of the Eden Project’s Annual Big Lunch (www.edenprojectcommunities.com), that brings communities together to enjoy chat, friendship & fun & really helps those feeling shy or lonely to meet the community they live in as well as bringing the community together. It’s free to attend & everyone contributes if they can, to what is available to eat & I shall certainly be producing big batches of this recipe for that, & know that it will be hugely popular. (I say big batches, because we have over 200 people from our neighbourhood already booked in for ours - at least 100 of whom are regular attendees, but bringing new neighbours, friends & more family with them this time. You & your recipes will be getting a lot of mentions!) thank you again.😁😋
Hi Pat, thanks for your kind comment.
Yes, feel free to share the recipe with your community. If you're sharing it online, though, please use a link to our site rather than the full recipe as that's how we earn our living. Enjoy!
This sounds yummy. I am thinking of using quinoa instead of couscous, since that is what I have. What do you think? Also, I love all your recipes. I have been following you for a long time.
Hi Sandy, couscous would be delicious!
Thanks for your kind encouragement!
We had this first at a friend's house. Have made it several times since and every time our guests have asked for the recipe. This is delicious and I love the breakdown to help with prepping ahead of time to reduce stress when entertaining.
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Claudia!
My husband and I love this recipe! I do some tweaking as I do for most recipes. I love out the pine nuts, fresh herbs and the onions. Instead of fresh tomatoes I use canned diced but drain as much as possible. I will add zucchini and fresh mushroom or whatever fresh veggies I have. I think feta cheese crumbles over the top is good too. I usually serve with a glass of wine and a piece of roasted salmon. Thank you so much!
Thanks, Shaun!
Chris- This looks AMAZING!!! Unfortunately I have had to cut out using quite a lot of your recipes as we have gone Whole Food Plant Based but then I find this little GEM!!!! CAN'T WAIT to try this one!!!! I stay on your mailing list as I know that every recipe I have made of yours is amazing (Plus I drool every time you two travel) Anytime you want to develop more Plant-Based recipes I am there!!!! Thanks for always being so creative.
Thanks, Christi! Hope you enjoy this salad!
Hi Christi, I too am plant-based, & feel the same about the recipes here & I love them too because they are so adaptable & it’s so easy to add or swap out different foods when needed, especially to avoid allergens for people, when sharing them. I’ll echo your plea though for more plant based ideas & recipes, there can never be too many of those &, again, it’s why I love this site, there’s something for everyone & because of the way each stage is broken down so clearly, it makes meeting everyone’s preferences so easy. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I know I am😋
Beautiful to the eye and gratifying to the palate. The colors are vibrant and the combination of spices along with the vegetables are just so pleasing. Will definitely be serving this at my next gathering. I truly enjoy your recipes.
Thank you for the kind comment, Dame!
Absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to share with my friends that cook. So very good!
Thanks for your review, Martha!
I'm looking forward to trying this out this week. The photos of the dish look like there are also olives, but I don't see olives listed in the ingredients. Would you recommend including them? What kind?
Hi Pauline, sometimes I do add Kalamata olives to this dish. So good! Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I love a salad that feels fulfilling enough to be a dinner. This definitely made for a satisfying dinner for me (and a few lunch boxes for the rest of the week, yay!)
I also threw in some carrots and a zucchini since I had it at home, it works excellently 🙂
Converting my red meat-loving husband to a more plant-centric diet has been a challenge, and I rely on finding interesting, flavorful recipes that are satisfying enough that he gives them the ultimate compliment: "you can make that again!" This recipe rang the gong, even though I didn't have the jalapenos. Used farro this time, cilantro ,and mint, and it was delicious. We both had second helpings. The only thing I might change from this excellent recipe is not leaving the onions in fans. As much as that added visually, unless one uses a knife to separate the onion from the retained root, the fans necessitate eating the entire piece at once, and I think I'd prefer having the onion slices more mixed in. I also loved the tips for do-ahead prep, since there is a substantial amount of whopping and chopping, and having the prep done made it ever-so-much easier.
Yay, so happy you both enjoyed this Sue. I agree about the onions although I do love the pretty presentation so I'm always a little torn. I guess one option would be to just leave a few of them intact for a garnish and separate the others.
Served it tonight at Bible Study. The ladies loved it!!!! Outstanding recipe. Jalapeño adds some kick to it.
Yay! Thanks, Kathryn, so happy you enjoyed it.
This salad checks all the boxes! Healthy, easy, roasted veggies, luscious dressing! Wowza! Going to have to give it a try! So beautiful, too!
What a beautiful salad and when beautiful salads are also delicious and healthy, it's a huge win in my books 🙂 Would love this as a side for just about anything 🙂
This is exactly what I'm craving these days Chris! Those crispy chickpeas sound fantastic and I adore just about any kind of roasted vegetable salads. A must try for me!!! Pinned 🙂
This is the perfect excuse to make some crispy chickpeas! Some for salad, some for snacking. Such a yummy salad, Chris!