Roasted Chickpea Salad with Hummus

This dense & hearty Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe is piled high with nourishing veggies, creamy hummus, and tangy balsamic dressing! Plus it's totally customizable with your favorite add-ins or whatever's in season. (Vegan, gluten-free, refined oil-free.)

Chickpeas on chickpeas? Let's do this.

This dense and hearty salad has been on repeat. It's fresh, customizable, and seriously satisfying. (With about 17 grams of plant-based protein in every serving!)

We start with a nourishing base of lettuce, then pile on the veggies. Then comes the double-chickpea action: creamy hummus and savory roasted chickpeas. (Yes!) And finally, it's drizzled with a flavorful creamy balsamic dressing.

Best of all, there are endless ways to customize this recipe. So change it up with whatever's in your crisper drawer or whatever's in season.

Ingredients for Roasted Chickpea Salad

For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:

• Romaine lettuce: We'll use one large head romaine for this recipe, which is about 6-8 cups chopped. I prefer romaine for this recipe because the leaves are so fresh and crisp.
• Cucumber: Most of the time I use hothouse cucumber (also called English cucumber). But you can use seedless garden cucumber if desired.
• Carrot
• Roma tomato: Or swap in grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or other garden tomato.
• Red onion: For a milder flavor you can use green onions (scallions) instead.
• Beets: You can use refrigerated packaged beets (like Love Beets brand), canned, or cooked fresh. Or simply omit these if you're not a fan.
• Kalamata olives
• Hummus: This adds so much creaminess and richness to the salad. I like using my homemade oil-free Hummus recipe, but simply use your own favorite or store-bought version. I often prepare the hummus in advance and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator so it's ready to go.
• Roasted chickpeas: We'll roast these in the oven after tossing them with a flavorful spice blend that reminds me of vegan bacon-style flavors. You can either make one or two batches of these Smoky Roasted Chickpeas depending on how much you want to include in your salads. (I like a double batch for lots of crispy chickpea goodness.) Adding a warm ingredient to salads is a great way to change it up and make it feel extra hearty. Plus the chickpeas are a good source of plant-based protein and fiber.
• Creamy Balsamic Dressing: I make a batch of my Creamy Balsamic Dressing for this salad. It's delicious but also efficient since we're making the hummus anyway, and the dressing requires some for creamy texture. However a simple drizzle of balsamic vinegar can work in a pinch as well!

Prefer a flavored hummus? Try this Chipotle Taco Hummus, Lemon Dill Hummus, or Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus instead.

Customizing

Vegetables: Swap in seasonal fresh veggies or your own favorites. Sugar snap peas, red cabbage, bell pepper, roasted red pepper, fresh sprouts, avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, or sweet corn would be great. Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil, and dill can add vibrant flavor as well.

Lettuce base: Instead of romaine, use your favorite greens like fresh baby spinach, kale, mixed salad greens, etc.

Nuts & seeds: Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, slivered almonds, crushed peanuts, etc.

Grains: For an even heartier salad, add cooked rice, quinoa, farro, or your own favorite grain.

Dairy-free cheese: Sprinkle vegan feta cheese crumbles to taste if desired.

Dressing: Change it up with Maple Balsamic Dressing, Vegan Ranch Dressing, Vegan Italian Dressing, Creamy Herb Dressing, or a simple squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Serving

Family-style: Set out the prepared ingredients on the counter like a salad bar. Then let everyone assemble their own bowl just the way they like it. This hearty salad is great for lunch, dinner, a side dish, meal prep, or even take-along lunches.

Chopped salad: Dice everything into smaller pieces for a chopped salad you can scoop up with a spoon.

Wrap it: Or just grab your favorite whole grain tortilla and wrap it up for a portable, on-the-go meal.

Storing

For best freshness, store the salad, hummus, dressing, and roasted chickpeas all in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Then assemble when ready to enjoy. (The chickpeas will lose some of their crispiness when stored, but they're still very tasty!) I find it all keeps for a few days in the refrigerator.

For more inspiration, also browse all chickpea recipes or easy vegan dinner recipes.

If you're enjoying this Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe with hummus, also check out:

• Vegan Taco Salad with Creamy Southwestern Dressing
• Chickpea-Walnut Taco Crumbles

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