A meat-free medley of protein packed spicy roasted chickpeas, broccoli and carrot unite with a herbaceous yogurt dressing to make this satisfying weekday salad.
I am so excited to finally be entering salad season once again. Not to say that I have not been enjoying lounging around eating bowls full of comfort food like our Weeknight Coq Au Vin and Spaghetti Bolognaise Bake, but there comes a time when lightness in a meal is desired. And that time has definitely not been around for months now.
Like if you had offered me a salad a month ago, I possibly would have given you this look 😒. Cause I don’t know about you, but there are just some things that I can not bare eating in the colder seasons. Salad being one of those things….but funnily enough not ice cream, go figure hahaha.
And although I am not quite ready to dig into a bowlful of our Goji Berry & Kaniwa Salad or Israeli Couscous Greek Salad, I am definitely ready to get right into this roasted broccoli, carrot and spicy chickpea salad.
There are so many things about this salad that I think you guys are going to love. For starters there is the perfectly roasted broccoli and carrot. I love the flavor that develops with the light charring of the florets of broccoli. The way the florets are still vibrantly green but slightly tanned on top. And how they soften up but still maintain a slight crunch in texture.
Then there are the carrots, that once roasted transforms from its crunchy self into a gloriously soft version of itself that is filled with sweet flavors.
Next is the spicy roasted chickpeas, one of my favourite parts of this salad. These protein packed legumes are coated in a mixture made with zesty lemon juice, spicy chili powder, smoky paprika and vibrant turmeric, making them exceptionally scrumptious. The process of roasting them gives these spicy chickpeas a crisp and crunchy texture which I think you are just going to love.
Add these three delicious ingredients to a good handful of iron enriched baby spinach and you have yourself an amazing salad that is loaded with nutritional value. Now all we need to talk about is the delicious dressing.
And what a dressing it is!!
Light and healthy yet creamy and flavourful. With a base of Greek yogurt and a squeeze of lemon juice to add freshness and a zesty tang. Then a touch of tahini to add another dimension of flavor, which matches perfectly with the other ingredients in the salad, plus it adds a nutritional boost to the dressing. And then I have loaded it with heaps of chopped parsley and mint, making it super herbaceous and fresh.
From the perfectly roasted florets of broccoli to the creamy herbaceous dressing, this nutrient packed roasted broccoli, carrot and spicy chickpea salad is naturally gluten free and suitable for vegetarians. It has very little prep and only takes 30 minutes to roast all the ingredients making it a great choice for a weeknight dinner. It can be eaten warm but is also fantastic cold. And is filling enough to be eaten as a main but makes a pretty flash side dish.
Don’t forget to let me know how you go with this salad guys by leaving a comment below.
Enjoy.
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into quarter florets
- 1 large carrot, cut into slices
- 3-4 tablespoons grape seed oil
- salt and pepper
- 15oz(400g) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
- 1 ½ tbsp grapeseed oil
- Juice ½ lemon
- ¼ tsp tumeric, chili powder and paprika
- 2 handfulls baby spinach leaves
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ teaspoons tahini
- Juice ½ lemon
- ⅛ cup chopped mint
- ⅛ cup chopped parsley
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 (180C). Line 2 x cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place broccoli evenly spaced on to one sheet. Place carrot evenly spaced onto half of the other one. Drizzle with 3-4 tablespoons grape seed oil and season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium sized bowl put chickpeas, lemon juice, spices and grape seed oil and mix well till chickpeas are evenly coated. Place onto other half of sheet with carrot.
- Place on to two shelves in oven for about 30 minutes, swapping shelves halfway. Give chickpeas a shuffle at this point.
- Whilst vegetables are roasting make dressing. In a small bowl place all ingredients together and mix till combined.
- Once vegetables and chickpeas are roasted add to a large bowl with baby spinach. Add dressing and toss.
