🥗 Smoky Roasted Chickpea Salad with Buttermilk Chive Dressing is an EASY salad with smoky roasted chickpeas, vegetables, kale, and topped with homemade chive-infused buttermilk dressing! An accidentally vegetarian, gluten-free, HEALTHY, and SATISFYING salad, it’s quick, delicious, and filling!
Roasted Chickpea Salad Recipe
I adore chickpeas, using them in a variety of recipes like my kale Caesar salad with fried chickpeas, tropical chickpea salad, and crispy roasted Parmesan chickpeas. For this salad, I made a roasted chickpea recipe, coating them in smoked paprika and cumin.
Then, I paired them with roasted broccoli and sugar snap peas and added everything to a bed of kale, along with juicy tomatoes, and drizzled homemade chive-infused buttermilk dressing over the top. The cooling buttermilk dressing is a perfect contrast to the smoky mild heat of the smoked paprika!
If you’re like me and nibble like crazy at the chickpeas as they’re cooling, you may want to use two cans to double the amount so you have enough for the salad. Wish I was kidding but I could snack on roasted chickpeas like they’re M&M’s. I guess that’s a good problem to have.
The salad is perfect as a meatless main or as a lunch that will keep you satisfied for hours!
Ingredients and Notes
To make this delicious roasted chickpea salad recipe, you’ll need:
- Chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) – Make sure to rinse and drain them well, and pat them dry with a clean towel for a crispy consistency
- Veggies – Broccoli, sugar snap peas, kale, and tomatoes. The kale adds hearty texture to the salad, but if you don’t have it on hand, use Romaine or your other favorite greens. They will be just fine in this naturally gluten-free vegetarian salad
- Olive oil
- Spices – Smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper
- Dressing – Buttermilk, sour cream, chives, and garlic powder create a creamy, zesty, homemade dressing. The buttermilk salad dressing is pretty chive-y because I added 3 tablespoons of chives, but if you don’t love herbs, reduce to taste. If you prefer dill rather than chives, it would be lovely in the dressing as well
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Roasted Chickpea Salad
- Add the chickpeas, broccoli, and sugar snap peas to a baking sheet. If you want to roast sweet potatoes, white, yellow, or red onions, bell peppers, carrots, or just about any other veggie you enjoy and have on hand, go for it.
- Evenly drizzle with olive oil and seasonings, and toss with your hands to combine.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are as done as desired.
- While the veggies roast, assemble the salad and make the dressing.
- Once the veggies and chickpeas are done, spoon over the prepped salad and enjoy!
Add extra texture
I love all the textures going on, and if you’re a texture freak like I am and want even more texture, pine nuts, slivered almonds, or even dried fruit like craisins make great additions. Or, add chopped cucumbers or olives.
Freshly grated Parmesan or feta cheese would also be delish. There are no rules when it comes to salads — the more the merrier — everything but the kitchen sink.
What to Serve with this Roasted Chickpea Salad
If you’re not concerned with keeping your meal plant-based, enjoy this salad as a side with main courses, like:
Smoky Roasted Chickpea Salad with Buttermilk Chive Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Medium Bowl
Ingredients
Chickpeas and Salad
- one 15-ounce can chickpeas, garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry (I use no salt added or low salt versions)
- 3 to 4 cups broccoli, florets and stalks okay
- about 1.5 cups sugar snap peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ to 1 bunch kale, torn into bite sized pieces with thick ribs removed (Romaine may be substituted)
- 1 or 2 tomatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
Dressing
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- about 1/3 cup sour cream, or as needed for consistency (I used low-fat; Greek yogurt may be substituted)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chives, or to taste (fresh dill may be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
Instructions
Chickpeas and Salad:
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a sheet pan with foil for easier cleanup.
- Add the chickpeas, broccoli, sugar snap peas. Evenly drizzle with olive oil, evenly sprinkle with smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and toss with your hands to combine.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are as done as desired.
- While the chickpeas and vegetables bake, assemble the salad by adding the kale and tomatoes to a large bowl; set aside.
Dressing:
- To a medium bowl, add all ingredients and whisk to combine; taste for seasoning balance and add more salt, pepper, etc. if desired; set aside until necessary. If you prefer a thicker dressing, add more sour cream as desired.
- To the kale and tomatoes, add the chickpeas and vegetables after they’re done baking. *(see note below)
- Add the dressing to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great
Hi Averie! Love love love your recipes! About how many cups of greens would you say? I’m going to mix some chopped kale and green leaf lettuce.
I’d say 5-ish but just go with what you think looks appropriate.
I adore smoked paprika (versus regular). Can’t wait to try on roasted chickpeas! I find them so addicting too :)
I love it too and if you’re a fan, this will be right up your alley!
I love everything about this salad! Roasted chickpeas and broccoli are my jam!
Me too and I found myself having bites of this salad every time I walked by the fridge as long as I had the leftovers :)
a very nice salad indeed, even if only “accidentally” vegetarian! The chickpeas and kale are two of the three things I usually need to have as part of my diet (legumes and leafy veg plus protein) and smoky chickpeas much better and much appreciated, throw in some sweet potatoes as you suggest and I’m over the top, thank you!
The spices for the roasted vegetables sound wonderful and so does the homemade dressing! This one’s on my list for later in the week.
Loooooved this dressing! So simple but SO much flavor! It’s super versatile! I think you will love this dish. LMK what you think!