Roasted Chickpea Salad

Roasted Chickpea Salad: aromatic chickpeas, smoky chorizo, tangy tomatoes, soft fresh spinach & zesty lemon dressing. Easy & delicious.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: Worldwide

Servings: people

Calories: 378kcal

Ingredients

For the roasted chickpea salad:

400 g Tinned chickpeas
¼ Onion
2 Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Olive oil
¾ teaspoon Ground cumin
¾ teaspoon Smoked mild paprika
50 g Spinach leaves about 2 large handfuls
30 g Chorizo (mildly spiced) - sliced into rings approximately 2.5mm thick

For the dressing:

2 tablespoon Olive oil
2 teaspoon Lemon juice
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/ GM4 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment
Chop each tomato into 8 pieces and slice the onion into slim wedges
Drain & rinse the chickpeas. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a medium-sized bowl and add the tomatoes, onion, cumin, paprika, some salt & pepper and the olive oil. Mix thoroughly then spread onto the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes (or 10-15 minutes longer if you want them crisper)
Once cooked remove for the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes - adding the chickpeas to the spinach straight away will cause the leaves to wilt
Cook the chorizo in a dry pan until lightly browned. Remove and drain on kitchen paper to remove the excess fat
To make the salad dressing, put all of the ingredients into a bowl and whisk vigorously until well combined. Alternatively, place ingredients into a small screw top jar, secure the lid and shake for 30 seconds until blended
Use your hands (or 2 wooden spoons) to toss the spinach, chorizo, roasted vegetables & chickpeas together with the salad dressing. Divide between 2 bowls and serve immediately

Notes

Roast the chickpeas and vegetables for an additional 10-15 more minutes to turn them extra crunchy (just ensure the onion does not burn - remove from the oven if necessary)
To avoid the spinach wilting, remember to let the chickpeas, tomato and onion cool for around 10 minutes before adding them to it
Use your hands to toss the ingredients together with the salad dressing - this is the best way to keep the spinach leaves in prime condition
You can roast the chickpeas up to 24 hours in advance but they will loose their crispness over time (store at room temperature)
Make this roasted chickpea salad vegan by leaving out the chorizo and replacing either with a vegan-friendly chorizo substitute, vegan feta-style cheese or some artichokes marinated in oil
Make this meal more substantial by adding pitta bread or tortilla wraps
Or crush some tortilla chips over the top for an indulgent salty & crunchy hit of additional flavour

Can I use dried chickpeas in this recipe?

Yes, you certainly can use dried chickpeas, however, it is essential to cook them before proceeding with this salad recipe. Follow the cooking instructions on your pack and ensure they thoroughly cooked before using.

Can I make this salad in advance?

If you want to make this salad in advance, it's best to prepare each element (the roasted chickpeas and vegetables, the chorizo and the salad dressing) and store them separately. Just toss them together at the point of serving.

How should I store the chickpeas?

If making them in advance or storing leftovers, the best way to store the roasted chickpeas is at room temperature. Just pop them in a bowl and cover loosely with foil or kitchen towel and use within 24 hours. They will soften a little but can always be re-crisped in the oven (try 5 minutes at 180C/ 350F/ Gm4)

Why have my leftovers have wilted?

Salad leaves do have a tendency to wilt over time when mixed with dressing. There is nothing that can be done to stop this, so try to avoid leftovers by halving the recipe if necessary.

Note: once mixed with the dressing the chickpeas will also lose their crunch over time.

Nutrition