The Easiest, Healthiest, And Most Tasty Roasted Chickpea Salad

Name: Roasted Chickpea Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes (chopped into 1-inch pieces); Drizzle of olive oil (or lemon juice or coconut aminos); 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder; Salt (to taste); 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked); 1 teaspoon cumin powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried marjoram ((optional)); 1/4 teaspoon allspice ((optional)); 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or whole-grain mustard); 2 to 3 teaspoons maple syrup; 1 medium shallot (thinly sliced); 1 small red chili pepper (rib and seeds removed, minced); 2 tablespoons water (plus more as needed); 1 tablespoon tahini (plus more to taste); 8 loosely packed cups chopped kale; 2 tablespoons hemp hearts ((optional)); 1/4 cup chopped walnuts ((optional))

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This quick and easy roasted chickpea salad recipe is not only delicious but it's also packed with healthy ingredients. The crispy chickpea croutons, caramelized sweet potatoes, and creamy balsamic dressing are perfection. Plus it's packed with plant-based protein.

Kale topped with roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potato, hemp hearts, chopped walnuts, shallots, and creamy balsamic dressing.

I make this recipe two ways–my 'Better Than Sweetgreens' method, and my 'For Longevity' method. Both methods are easy and do not compromise on flavor.

For a whole-roasted sweet potato version, visit my Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes post, and my Air-Fryer Sweet Potato recipe. Pair this with my Golden Hummus recipe.

You might also enjoy my longevity Strawberry and Kale Salad on this site!

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👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🍠 Substitutions
📖 How to Make Roasted Chickpea Salad
✔️ Expert Tips
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽️ My Favorite Chickpea Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

For the Roasted Chickpea Salad:

Sweet potato, chickpeas, kale, chopped walnuts, spices, and hemp hearts.

Chickpeas
Sweet potato
Kale
Spices
Hemp hearts (optional)
Chopped walnuts (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

For the Creamy Balsamic Dressing:

Tahini, red chili pepper, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, sliced shallots, and Dijon on a white board.

Tahini (optional)
Balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
Maple syrup
Shallots
Red chili pepper (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

🍠 Substitutions

Sweet potato - Make roasted or boiled sweet potatoes or omit them entirely.
Hemp hearts - Two tablespoons serve up almost 7 grams of protein, the amount found in two egg whites. Omit as desired.
Spices - All spices and amounts are listed in the recipe card below. Feel free to substitute with what you have on hand.
Kale - use lacinato or curly kale, arugula, baby spinach, or green lettuce instead
Walnuts - an excellent nut for increasing longevity (telomere length) but omit or substitute with a different nut of your choice

Visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page for more healthy salads.

📖 How to Make Roasted Chickpea Salad

For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview. Either roast or boil the sweet potatoes.

Seasoned chopped sweet potato on a white baking sheet.

For Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Transfer the sweet potato to a baking sheet. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the smoked paprika, garlic powder, chipotle powder, and salt to taste. Toss to coat evenly.

Roasted chopped sweet potato on a white baking sheet.

For Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Step 2. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until golden and tender.

Chopped sweet potatoes submerged in water in a white saucepan.

For Boiled Sweet Potatoes: Step 1. Transfer the chopped sweet potatoes to a medium saucepan with water to cover by about 2 inches high. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato is just fork tender (al dente).

Drained boiled sweet potatoes in a white colander.

For Boiled Sweet Potatoes: Step 2. Drain and set aside to cool. Toss them in the spices and a drizzle of lemon juice or olive oil.

Crispy roasted chickpeas on a white rimmed baking sheet.

Step 3. Chickpeas: Transfer the chickpeas to a large baking sheet. Toss them with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, marjoram, allspice (if using), and salt to taste. Roast with the sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes, or until crispy.

Balsamic vinegar, chopped shallots, chopped red chili pepper, maple syrup, mustard, and water in a steel skillet.

Step 4. Creamy Balsamic Dressing: Transfer the balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, shallot, and red chili pepper to a small skillet or saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat.

Balsamic vinegar, chopped shallots, chopped red chili pepper, maple syrup, mustard, and water simmering in a steel skillet.

Step 5. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Add the water and adjust until a desired sauce-like consistency.

Transfer the chopped kale to a large salad bowl. Pour about one-half of the hot liquid dressing onto the chopped kale. Massage the kale until tender.

Balsamic vinegar, chopped shallots, chopped red chili pepper, maple syrup, mustard, and tahini in a steel skillet.

Step 6. Add the tahini to the remaining dressing, off the stove. Add warm water as needed, until the desired creaminess. (Do not heat further.)

Massaged kale topped with roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potato, hemp hearts, chopped walnuts, shallots, and balsamic dressing.

Combine the salad ingredients with the remaining dressing and mix to incorporate. Add chopped walnuts and hemp hearts to this Roasted Chickpea Salad for more protein and omega-3s.

✔️ Expert Tips

Dry the chickpeas before roasting, or cook your own, for the crunchiest chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, rinse and rub them between layers of a dish towel before seasoning. This guarantees crunchy chickpeas. Or home-cook the chickpeas and transfer them to a colander to drain beforehand. If they are not getting crispy after 20 minutes of roasting, change the oven setting to broil and cook them for about 2 minutes more.
Use high-quality balsamic vinegar for the best-tasting dressing. I used this brand for this recipe. (This is a paid link but not sponsored.)
Storage: Refrigerate leftover Roasted Chickpea Salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serve warm or chilled. For maximum freshness, store the salad components in separate containers.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What is the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes?

Boiling rather than baking or steaming maintains the most nutrients when cooking sweet potatoes. Boiling sweet potatoes can thin out cell walls and gelatinize starch, potentially improving nutrient bioavailability.
Boiled sweet potatoes also have a lower glycemic index, approximately half that of baking or roasting, resulting in a lower blood sugar spike. Roasting increases their glycemic index.
However, both ways are good for you as sweet potatoes are incredibly healthy. Just make sure to keep the skins on. The peel has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh. This level is comparable to that of blueberries!

Raw versus cooked kale: Which is healthier?

Too much raw kale can interfere with thyroid function if iodine intake is insufficient. Chopping it and then waiting at least 40 minutes before cooking it, or adding a dash of mustard powder to cooked kale, helps produce the anti-cancer nutrient, sulforaphane.
This Roasted Chickpea Salad recipe adds hot dressing to the kale to partially cook and tenderize it. To maximize its nutritional benefits, chop the kale at least 40 minutes before adding the hot dressing.

Does roasting chickpeas decrease their nutritional value?

The chickpeas are added to this Roasted Chickpea Salad for protein and their high phenolic content. I am unaware of a study showing any significant loss of nutrients for roasting chickpeas at this time.