I wanted to make sure I had something fresh and delicious prepped for a couple of work-from-home lunches, and this chickpea caesar salad was an excellent option. It’s fresh and crunchy, zesty and creamy, basically all round delicious. Plus, filling enough you don’t need to pair it with anything else!
I tweaked a recipe from Love and Lemons
Ingredients List
For the dressing
- 1 garlic clove
- 1tsp capers
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1tbs lemon juice
- 1tsp Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the chickpea caesar salad
- Can of chickpeas
- Olive oil
- 1/2 cup stale bread
- 2 heads of romaine or cos lettuce
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/3 cup hard cheese
- 2 tbs chives
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steps
For the dressing
- Finely mince the garlic and capers and place in a small bowl
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Season and set aside
For the chickpea caesar salad
- Preheat the oven to 200C
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry and place on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and toss to coat
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until crispy. Remove and set aside
- Slice bread into cubes and drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake for 10 minutes, turning once, until golden on all side. Set aside
- Roughly chop the lettuce and place in a bowl. Drizzle with half the dressing then add the chickpeas, croutons and walnuts. Toss well to combine
- Top with shaved cheese, chopped chives and drizzle more dressing to taste. Season with salt and pepper
I then topped this chickpea caesar salad with some coconut bacon which added an excellent smokey flavour. Definitely optional, but well worth adding if you can get your hands on some! Make sure you choose a vegetarian friendly cheese too – most parmesan won’t make the cut unfortunately.
If you’re not eating this salad immediately then I definitely recommend keeping the elements separate until ready to serve. You don’t want soggy crotons or limp lettuce! The croutons should keep crunchy in a sealed container for a few days, as will the chickpeas.
I loved the flavours of the dressing – it’s creamy without being heavy, zesty, tangy and super tasty. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a caesar salad, not only because they are usually not vegetarian friendly, but also they are often drowned in dressing. Now that I can make it at home and balance the flavours to my liking it will be on high rotation!
Who wants to give this chickpea caesar salad a try?
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I Spy Plum Pie is Liz, an early 30s kiwi-born, Melbourne raised girl who is passionate about the environment and sustainability, food, exploring and learning new things. Join me on my journey to a happy, sustainable life!
mandy daillecourt
May 21, 2020 at 11:56 am (4 years ago)Looks yummy! What are the orange pieces in the salad? Can’t see them in the ingredients list