Honey Roasted Chickpea Salad

Chilly mornings have replaced the steaming heat here in Oklahoma. It’s the best time of year when it comes to the weather, and yet it won’t last long.

You’ll need to turn your heater on when you go to work and by the time you get out you’ll have to turn the A/C on. Chilly mornings quickly warm up into pleasant afternoons with a tinge of heat from the sun.

I like big, warm breakfasts to start my morning, but by mid-day I’m craving something much lighter and cooler. Salads won’t be worked out of the rotation for a few months now (when it gets just way too cold to eat them) so I’ve been experimenting with some greens I have on hand to make a few more salad recipes before the end of the year.

This might be a new favorite of mine, and I can’t wait to make it again in the summer. It’s a very light, breezy salad but it’s got a LOT of ingredients to make it perfect as an entree salad.

The chickpeas in this salad get extra crispy and it’s the perfect salad topper. The chickpeas are the perfect substitute for croutons, wonton strips or tortilla chips. I might use them in a more savory setting next time.

One of the best things about this salad is throwing whatever you want into it. I chopped up a ton of veggies and used as much as I could to make this salad as good as possible. You can add in other veggies, too. I bet chopped red onions and mushrooms would be amazing in this.

Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Chickpea Salad

Servings: 3-4
Time: 1 hr
Difficulty: Easy
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A flavorful salad with lots of different veggies and honey roasted chickpeas.

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas

2 TBS. olive oil

salt & pepper

2 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 cups chopped romaine

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 corn cobs, shucked

1 large avocado, sliced

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

1 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 TBS. tahini

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

1 TBS. fresh chopped chives

1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Drain chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Place on a paper towel and place another paper towel on top of the chickpeas. Pat and roll chickpeas under paper towel, loosening skin. Take loose skins off chickpeas and discard.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, shaking the pan every 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey, dijon and cinnamon. Once chickpeas are cooked and cooled, add to the honey mixture and stir until well coated.
Make the creamy herb dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together tahini, yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chives.
Make the salad: start with romaine and then top with cucumber, tomatoes, remaining basil, corn, avocado and feta. Top with chickpeas and dressing and serve.