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Stop eating sad salads! This chopped salad is packed with fresh veggies, crispy roasted chickpeas and tons of flavor thanks to the best nut-free vegan ranch dressing.
this RECIPE
Roasted Chickpea Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing
I’ve got another salad for you today! I hope you are slowly crawling (or, preferably, sprinting) to the Team Salad side, because fresh veggies are where it’s at. Seriously, I’m just over here having a rave with all these vegetables. Jk. Sorta?
Now I get why not everyone is on Team Salad with me, because we’re used to the saddest iceberg lettuce side salads with like two slices of cucumber and a single cherry tomato. But I’m here to tell you that salads can be so much more than that. If these healthy salads didn’t quite get you on Team Salad, then allow me to make another attempt with this Roasted Chickpea Salad. With homemade VEGAN RANCH DRESSING. Yes, that is correct. Vegan ranch.
The base of this roasted chickpea salad is actually a pretty simple and classic chopped salad, using normal ole’ veggies we know and love. Seriously though, have you ever had a salad without carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes? I always toss those little guys in there – wait, that’s actually a lie. I hate tomatoes, I just put them in this salad for you guys. If you don’t like them either, then by all means leave them out 🙂
We’re also adding some corn for a little sweetness and ripe avocado for those magical healthy fats to balance out our roasted chickpea salad. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have a little fat in my meal, I get hungry again really fast. But just a little avo goes a long way in keeping you satisfied and compliments the crispy roasted chickpeas so well.
Then we’re spicing it up (literally) with crunchiest spicy roasted chickpeas and the aforementioned vegan ranch dressing. Team Salad, let’s gooooo!
How to Make Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
Okay I seriously hope you guys are already roasting your chickpeas, but if not what are you doing?! As if I didn’t love chickpeas enough before, they’re about 83948 times better roasted. I had to practice seriousself-control to not eat the whole batch of roasted chickpeas before I took pictures. Obviously we’re using them as a salad topper here, but they also make a delicious snack! I dare you to make a tray of these for your roasted chickpea salad and not eat a single chickpea off the tray! It’s impossible.
Have you ever wondered why your roasted chickpeas never come out of the oven as crispy as they look in recipe pictures? I’ve got the answer for you! The key to getting a super crispy roasted chickpea is drying them first. And I don’t just mean shaking off the excess water after rinsing them. I mean getting out a clean dish towel, dumping the rinsed chickpeas on it and patting them dry. I know it’s annoying to go through an extra step, but roasted chickpeas will never crisp up in the oven if they go in covered in water – they’ll steam instead. Gotta get those babies dry!
I wanted to add a bit of spice to this roasted chickpea salad, so we’re adding onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and a bit of cayenne to the chickpeas before they go in the oven. Then, the second key to getting a super crispy roasted chickpea is making sure your oven is HOT. These go in at 425 – don’t cheat and put them in before your oven is fully pre-heated. I promise your patience is worth it.
How to Make Vegan Ranch Dressing
Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: vegan ranch dressing. I actually never liked ranch, or really any salad dressing for that matter. It was all too heavy and oily and just nasty to me. But I know there are tons of people out there that put ranch on EVERYTHING so I knew I had to give it another shot.
Despite my rocky past with ranch dressing, I decided to give it a vegan twist to see if my ways could be changed. All the seasonings sounded delicious – dill, parsley, chives, lemon juice – so I didn’t see why I wouldn’t like it. I’ve seen lots of vegan ranch dressings that are cashew-based, but I had 4 problems with that:
- Raw cashews basically cost the same as a kidney.
- Whileit contains healthy monounsaturated fats, I didn’t want a heavy calorie-bomb dressing.
- I’m too impatient to wait for them to soak.
- What about my friends with nut allergies? They have to miss out on all the vegan ranch drenched fun?
So, I went for…silken tofu! It’s neutral in taste and pretty inexpensive. Make sure you get the silken tofu on the shelves (I use this one) and not refrigerated block tofu! I promise you that there’s no weird tofu flavor in this vegan ranch dressing. Just herby, lemony, garlicy goodness.
The tofu makes this dairy free ranch sooooooooo creamy and also packs in a source of complete protein, which makes our roasted chickpea salad more satiating. I used my handy dandy NutriBullet to make it extra smooth! Simply add all the dressing ingredients to your blender and blend it up!
I love using this dairy-free ranch dressing on this roasted chickpea salad, but I also love it as a vegetable dip for snacking.
More Filling Salad Recipes
If you try this salad, then please let me know! I really think you’ll love it. It’s full of good-for-you veggies and the ranch dressing gives it so much flavor. It really is the perfect healthy salad, and because of all the protein and healthy fats, it’s also a super filling salad recipe! If you’re looking for more healthy salad recipes that will keep you feeling full and satisfied, then check out these ones!
- Curry Quinoa Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
- Vegan Chicken Fajita Salad
- Crispy Tofu Vegan Caesar Salad
- Pesto Couscous Salad
How to make:
Roasted Chickpea Salad with Vegan Ranch Dressing
This chopped salad is packed with fresh veggies, crispy roasted chickpeas and tons of flavor thanks to the best nut-free vegan ranch dressing.
Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
3-4 1x
Rating: 5 from 3 reviews
Print the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 5 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- For the ranch dressing:
- 12 ounces soft silken tofu
- 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 2 tablespoons dried chives
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place onto a kitchen towel; pat dry. In a medium bowl, add chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (if using); stir until chickpeas are evenly coated. Place on the baking sheet in an even layer; bake for 14-16 minutes, until crunchy.
- In a large bowl, add lettuce, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, corn, and avocado. When chickpeas are done, add to the bowl. Stir well; set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, add tofu, milk, parsley, lemon juice, chives, dill, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and agave. Blend until smooth.
- You have two options: add the dressing to the bowl of salad and mix, or store the dressing in a container and add as you eat. The dressing recipe makes 2 cups, so you will probably have some left over.
Notes
To make oil-free, simply omit the olive oil when roasting chickpeas. They should still crisp up.
What’s your go-to salad dressing? Do you have any particular health goals right now?
February 5, 2020
Tagged with:
Appetizers avocados beans chickpeas corn Dinner Gluten Free Grain Free Lunch Nut Free Salads Sides tofu
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32 comments
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32 comments
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Erin @ The Almond Eater says: Ohhh I can pretty much get on board with anything that has roasted chickpeas--they're so darn good. I'd say my only health goal at the moment is to workout more consistently. I teach so much, but I need to still fit in more workouts for myself!
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rs says: I would love to use this recipe but I am also SOY FREE so I cannot due to the use of tofu. Could you please see what other ingredient may give the desired taste and texture to the dressing.Many thanks.
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Emilie says: Hi! You can try to soak 1 cup raw cashews in water for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) and blend them with the rest of the ingredients. Let me know if you try it!
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Emilie says: They're SO addictive!! I've always wanted to be a group fitness instructor, but I don't think I would have the motivation to work out between that. Best of luck to you, girl <3
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Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says: Mmm delish!!! Vegan ranch = life! And crunchy chickpeas are the best!!!half my dinner plate is a mess of piled salad and I usually just throw on some vinegar! I have about ever flavor of vinegar imaginable in my pantry :P Hahaha! Roasted garlic red wine is my fav!
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Emilie says: I love vinegar! That's usually what I use for salad dressing - I've never really been a fan of heavy dressings. But this one is so light and full of flavor!
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Leah M @ love me, feed me says: Such a beautiful salad!! Roasted chickpeas are the bomb and I'm so excited about this ranch!! I loooooved ranch with all my heart. I feel meh about cashew based dressings, so I love that you use tofu!! Also love hearing personal stories <3
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Emilie says: Ahh the ranch is so good! I just can't bring myself to buy raw cashews JUST for a salad dressing. Maybe a raw cheesecake ;)
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Alexa [fooduzzi.com] says: STOP. This is amazing. Girl, this salad is beautiful! It's amazing to me that people can hate tomatoes! Mark does, too, but I absolutely can't get enough!Personal stories are the best - you. are. wonderful
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Emilie says: Ah thanks so much! I don't know why I hate raw tomatoes because I literally love every other fruit and vegetable, but it's just my one thing! And omg thanks you're too sweet ?
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addie martanovic says: The last picture though... so beautiful! I cannot wait to make this. Also, I love your honesty! You're just a little gem.
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Theresa K says: How long could I store this dressing in the fridge? I'm the only one in my house who eats ranch dressing...
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Emilie says: I totally understand! I'm usually cooking for one too. I'd say about a week!
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Emilie says: I've made several of your recipes now and they're all great! I made this one today. I love the roasted chickpeas on the salad. Can't wait to try the apple salad with cinnamon roasted chickpeas! Thanks!We spell our name the same! :) Don't see that too often.
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Emilie says: Thank you so much Emilie!! (Love your name, BTW😉) I'm obsessed with roasted chickpeas. The apple salad is perfect for fall!
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Brooke says: This was so delicious ! But I decided to use cashews instead of tofu. I avoid tofu because of the soy - I have a estrogen fueled disease. You can actually get away with soaking them for only 30 minutes. I buy them in bulk and it's great because cashews never go bad although pricey.
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Emilie says: That last picture is my favorite too...we really are twins. <333
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Emilie says: I like to keep my nuts and seeds in the fridge or freezer so they don't go rancid!
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Emilie says: So happy you were able to tweak it for your preferences! I bet the cashews make it super creamy. 👌🏼
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Tanya says: Hi Emilie! I just found your recipe on Pinterest, and I can't wait to try this dressing and salad recipe! I've really been wanting to eat more salads, but as a new Vegan, I haven't found a dressing I can love. Loved your blog post and writing style. I noticed you wrote this back in 2016! Yikes, I'm definitely late to the party. Hope you're still blogging. 😶
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Emilie says: You're welcome to the party any time. ;) I LOVE this dressing and I hope you do too. And yes, still going strong with blogging!
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Monique says: Cashews can go bad. We had some in our pantry for a long time, always properly stored as far as I am aware, and when I went to use them they smelled a little stronger than normal. Sort of a fishy smell. I almost used them anyway but my gut feeling said not to so I looked up fishy smelling cashews and found a lot of people saying they had gone bad. The people who said they ate them anyway got really sick. So doesn't hurt to smell your cashews if they are old! :)
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Monique says: This was so super delicious!! This is gonna be a new go to dressing/dip for me! I was worried it might be too gritty or something with all the dried herbs, or too vinegary with all the lemon and acv, but nope! Perfect flavor!! Thank you for sharing!
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Frank says: What a fantastic salad. I do eat a lot of chickpeas, but mostly in form of hummus. I will try this salad the next time I buy chickpeas. I love the ingredients in the ranch dressing. Excellent recipe! Thank you
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Emilie says: They add such a flavorful crunch to the salad - like croutons! The perfect complement to the creamy ranch.
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Amy says: I just made this today for lunch-delicious! I was super-skeptical about vegan ranch since I have had no so great experiences before ;) But I tried it because I am really trying to go vegan and finding an alternative to ranch would be a godsend. It is SO GOOD! I cannot believe it! I like it better than regular ranch! So much less greasy/oily/heavy but has all of the flavor. Will be making regularly! THANK YOU!!!
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Emilie says: Hooray, thanks so much for giving it a try, Amy!
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Cheryl says: Thinking of making this for thanksgiving but I don’t have agave nectar. Hate to buy it for half a teaspoon. Would maple syrup change the taste? Or can you suggest a substitute?
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Emilie says: That would be totally fine!
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