Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad- The Fall Salad You’ll Want to Make Again and Again!

Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad- The Fall Salad You’ll Want to Make Again and Again!

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This healthy Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad combines crispy, spicy chickpeas, caramelized veggies, Israeli couscous, buttery, toasted pine nuts and a generous shower of fresh herbs. It makes a delicious side or fabulous main course!

I love making this Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad every fall and love 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 fall 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!

Overhead picture of roasted veggie salad in a cast iron skillet on a wooden table with dressing

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!

Photo of a cast iron skillet filled with Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad on a wood table.

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!

Photo of a cast iron skillet filled with Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad.

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

What we’re listening to for inspiration:

The Uncreated One

If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations.

 

Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad

This healthy Roasted Veggie Chickpea Salad combines crispy, spiced chickpeas, caramelized veggies, Israeli couscous and lots of fresh herbs for a delicious side or main course!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Prep Time:
45 mins

Cook Time:
15 mins

Servings: 8 as a side

Calories: 327 kcal

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:

  1. 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:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Set aside.

For the couscous:

  1. 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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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:

  1. 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.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in post for more detailed directions and tips.

Recipe adapted from The New York Times.

Calories 327kcal

Fat 20g

Saturated fat 2g

Sodium 480mg

Potassium 452mg

Carbohydrates 29g

Fiber 5g

Sugar 4g

Protein 10g

Vitamin A 1146%

Vitamin C 57%

Calcium 79%

Iron 3%

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Roasted Veggie and Crispy Chickpea Salad- The Fall Salad You\'ll Want to Make Again and Again!

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