Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad

Upgrade a classic with this Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad! The garlic roasted chickpeas are a perfect compliment to the zippy homemade Caesar dressing. If you like Caesar salad, this crispy roasted chickpea version is a must-try!

What are the ingredients in this Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad?

This recipe has all the makings of a regular Caesar salad, except there are roasted chickpeas too! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the homemade dressing and rest of the meal:

• chickpeas – The main star of the recipe. Two cans is the perfect amount to use for four servings. I love that I can keep cans of chickpeas on hand for recipes like this!
• garlic powder – In this recipe, the garlic powder is used to season the chickpeas.
• parmesan cheese – I strongly prefer to use freshly shredded parmesan cheese for recipes like this where it’s one of the main flavors. Parm is used in both the dressing and as a topping.
• mayonnaise, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic clove – These are the dressing ingredients used for our homemade Caesar dressing. Creamy, salty, zingy and fresh!
• anchovies – A standard ingredient in Caesar dressing, it brings a salty, savory, umami flavor to the dressing. There are vegan versions made without, though!
• extra virgin olive oil – Used for roasting the chickpeas and then the base of the dressing.
• salt – You do need some salt to season the chickpeas, but I would be careful adding
• romaine lettuce – Fresh, crisp, romaine dressing is vital for Caesar salad. But feel free to add other greens too if you have them on hand.
• fresh ground black pepper – I’m a huge fan of fresh ground black pepper and I loveeee when they bring it around in the giant grinder at restaurants. A bit of this elevates the salad in my opinion!
• extras: avocado, air fryer croutons, sliced grilled chicken, hard-boiled egg – all of these are totally optional but would definitely turn this salad into more of a full meal!

Equipment you’ll need to make Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

There are a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to make this pasta salad. Here are the items and brands I use at home:

• For a cutting board, I recommend this Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!). The XL size is perfect but not too huge. I use it for everything except cutting raw meat.
• For my chef’s knife, I use a Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!). This knife is super high quality while being affordable. I’ve had mine for years (and there’s a lifetime guarantee!).
• To wash and dry lettuce, I could never go without my OXO salad spinner (affiliate link!). It helps me wash the lettuce really well, and then I can dry it 95% of the way by spinning. I usually add a paper towel in there to absorb excess moisture.

How to make Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

To make this recipe, you’ll need to prep your lettuce, roast your chickpeas, and make the dressing. I like to get the chickpeas going first, since they’ll take the longest to cook. However, if I have wilty lettuce that needs a little soaking in water, I’ll actually use my OXO salad spinner (affiliate link!) to do that first.

It might sound weird, but when preparing lettuce, I think it works best to cut the lettuce first and then wash it in the salad spinner. This helps every piece jostle around and get washed, as opposed to the larger leaves moving less in the water during rinsing.

You can even let chopped romaine sit in cold water for a bit to rehydrate if its wilted. Just be sure to dry it really well before serving – which is why I love my OXO salad spinner (affiliate link!)! I literally use it to carry my garden vegetable harvest and wash/spin those too.

Preheat the oven and then open the cans of chickpeas. Pour them into a strainer and give them a quick rinse. After that, I like to line a bowl with paper towels and transfer the chickpeas. The drier they are, the more crispy they will become when roasted! The paper towels in the bottom will catch excess water as is drips down.

Use the paper towels to pat the chickpeas dry as well, then pour them onto a rimmed half sheet pan (affiliate link!) lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up). Toss the chickpeas with oil, garlic powder, and salt. You can use a spoon or your hands for this.

Once the oil and seasonings are well dispersed on the chickpeas, spread them in a single layer across the pan. Roast in the preheated for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy, stirring halfway through for the most even cooking. When they’re done, let them sit on the sheet pan for a while to cool off.

Once the chickpeas are in the oven, move on to the dressing. You can use a mini food processor or immersion stick blender to blitz the dressing. I usually use my immersion stick blender with a mason jar, so I can just stick a lid on it when I’m done!

Add the parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, and anchovy fillets to the bowl or jar and begin to blitz. Gradually drizzle in the oil as you blend, until everything comes together.

If it seems thick, you can stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it out. The anchovies and parmesan can be quite salty depending on what brands you use, so I don’t usually add salt to this dressing.

You can either add serve everything immediately, or keep everything separate for a make-ahead version. Keeping things separate helps keep them fresh and crisp for as long as possible.

Best tips for making Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

Here are my best tips for making this Caesar salad recipe successfully in your own kitchen:

• Remove as much moisture as possible from the chickpeas before roasting. Excess moisture leads to soft chickpeas!
• When storing the roasted chickpeas, leave the container partially open to breathe. While most prepared food should be sealed airtight, roasted chickpeas will soften if left trapped with any moisture at all.
• Follow the directions when making the dressing, and don’t pour the oil in all at once. You need to emulsify the oil with the other ingredients to get a creamy, thick dressing.

What to serve with Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

To make this Caesar salad a more filling and complete meal, I like to add half an avocado and some homemade air fryer croutons. If I have any cooked chicken breast in the fridge, I’ll add that too!

Ways to customize this recipe:

Here are some ideas on ways to customize this Caesar salad recipe:

• make it vegan – This homemade dressing does have anchovies, but you could easily use a vegan version, like this 5-Minute Vegan Caesar Dressing
• add other veggies – Even though Caesar salads don’t normally have other veggies, if I have homegrown tomatoes, I WILL be adding them!
• more add-ons – Add sliced avocado, air fryer croutons, hard-boiled eggs, or sliced grilled chicken!
• add some kale – Or other green you like or have on hand!

How to meal prep this recipe:

Meal prepping this recipe is as simple as making the components and then keeping them separate until serving for best quality. Divide the shredded lettuce between four containers, and top with the parmesan shavings. Divide the dressing between four small dressing pots, and place one in each container before securing the lid.

It is best practice to give the chickpeas some air as they sit so all the moisture can evaporate. To do this, leave them in a container with a paper towel over the top. Don’t seal them airtight, or the moisture will soften the chickpeas as they sit in the container.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly?

I do not recommend freezing any part of this recipe. Lettuce does not freeze well!

How to store leftover Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

If you’re planning to enjoy this salad later, you’ll want to keep everything separated to preserve freshness and keep the chickpeas crunchy. Store everything but the chickpeas in airtight containers in the fridge. Keep the chickpeas on the counter, not sealed all the way, or they’ll get soft overnight.

To meal prep this meal into four servings:

• divide the shredded lettuce between four containers, and top with the parmesan shavings
• divide the dressing between four small dressing pots, and place one in each container before securing the lid
• to keep the chickpeas crispy, it is best to give them some air during storage. Divide the chickpeas between four separate pots but don’t close them all the way.

How to reheat Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad:

No need to reheat anything in this recipe! Most you’ll need to do is remix the dressing if it has separated.