Roasted Chickpea Greek Salad with Lemon-Herb Dressing

There’s a not-so-secret rule here at Fork in the Kitchen: absolutely no boring salads allowed.

Salads are one of those things that are great in theory – vegetables! fiber! nutrition! – but depending on their execution, they can end up sad, unfulfilling, and leave you hangry. Or is that just me?

So the no-boring-salads thing is real. Because if we’re going to be enjoying a salad, then we’re ENJOYING the salad. That means texture, flavor, and variety! This Greek-inspired salad delivers all of those and more.

Thanks to the crispy roasted chickpeas, variety of fresh vegetables, creamy feta, and a mild and bright lemony and herb dressing this salad hits all the marks.

How to Roast the Chickpeas

In my humble opinion, a salad needs a variety of textures, and one of those must be something crunchy. While croutons are always a solid option, roasting chickpeas is also a delicious swap, delivering fiber and protein (so I’ve heard ;)).

It’s easy to roast chickpeas in the oven and takes about 25 to 30 minutes to do so, giving you plenty of time to prepare the homemade salad dressing and the remaining ingredients. Then, it all comes together lickety-split!

Start by draining and rinsing a can of chickpeas (save that liquid for other uses if you want – it’s called aquafaba and is an amazing vegan egg-white substitute!).

Dry the chickpeas between a tea towel or two paper towels, rolling until mostly dry. Some of the skins may come off and that’s totally ok! You can roast them up, too, for extra crispy bits (or remove them if preferred).

Then toss the dried chickpeas with a little olive oil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Spread them evenly on a baking sheet – use one with edges so they don’t roll off – and bake! I like to shake the pan back and forth about halfway through the cook time to make sure they’re evenly roasted.

Once they’re golden brown and crisp, it’s time to remove them from the oven and toss them in the salad!

Assembling Greek-Inspired Lettuce Salad

With the chickpeas seasoned and roasted it’s time to assemble!

Chop or tear romaine lettuce leaves as desired and place them in a large bowl. If you prefer, you can also assemble the salads individually, although I prefer tossing it all together with the dressing before plating. To each their own!

You can also use mixed spring lettuce or another variety of greens.

Then, add thinly sliced shallot, diced cucumber, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Use as much or as little of each as you desire! Banana peppers or sun-dried tomatoes would also be delicious!

With all of the salad components ready, it’s time to toss with the dressing! Homemade dressing is 100% the way to go – it’s easy to make in under 5 minutes and has so much flavor without any excess ingredients.

Whisk together fresh lemon juice and zest, dried oregano and parsley, maple syrup or honey, and olive oil.

To make homemade dressing even easier, add the ingredients to a mason jar, put the lid on it, and shake it up! Fewer dishes to use and the leftover dressing will already be in a storage container!

Toss the salad with your desired amount of dressing, being careful to not drench the salad, then garnish with a little more feta cheese as desired, and enjoy!

FAQs, Tips, and Tricks

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By the Way…

This recipe is part of our collection of green salad recipes. Check it out!