Southwestern Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

 

A Southwestern salad with crispy chickpeas and an easy-to-make avocado-lime dressing. Fresh, vegan, full of delicious flavor, with a satisfying crunch! 

Southwestern-Salad-with-Crispy-Chickpeas

Here’s a surprise for today: more avocado!

I know that’s not actually surprising at all, but hear me out.

This time I used it in a dressing for a tasty Southwestern-flavored salad with really addictive baked crispy chickpeas.

I know I said I can never get enough avocado, especially in the summer, and here’s why: it works with everything!

Case in point for this Southwestern salad: avocado as the base in a salad dressing.

Just purée it up with some lime juice, agave, and white wine vinegar.

And you’ve got the most heavenly, ultra-thick and creamy salad dressing.

It’s really flavorful.

(Not to mention it’s a thick, creamy salad dressing that’s healthy and vegan too. How often can that happen in this world?)

But I’ll try not to get too carried away with my ode to avocado and leave out the best part of this particular southwestern salad:

Southwestern-Salad-with-Crispy-Chickpeas-and-Avocado-Dressing

The crispy chickpeas!

Just toss them with some olive oil and a few southwestern spices.

Then bake in the oven until they’re crisp and golden.

They’re addictive, for sure.

Crunchy on the outside, soft in the center, and full of flavor.

You could eat them alone as a tasty snack.

The only challenge with this recipe is trying NOT to eat all of the crispy chickpeas as a snack before the salad is assembled.

Southwest-Salad-with-Crispy-Chickpeas

Oh, and making salads with shredded cabbage.

This is a new favorite obsession of mine.

I love coleslaw mix (or broccoli slaw) in place of traditional salad greens.

Because there’s no sogginess or blandness, just a hearty, satisfying crunch in every bite.

Crispy-Chickpea-Southwestern-Salad

And, although I know I left them out of the photos, I do highly recommend topping this southwestern salad with some crushed tortilla chips.

The avocado dressing is calling out for them. Definitely.

And enjoy!

This one feels so fresh and nourishing and yet so very delicious too.

Here’s the recipe for Southwestern Salad with Crispy Chickpeas:

Southwestern Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 4
  • Calories: 392
  • Fat: 19.1g
  • Saturated fat: 3g
  • Carbohydrates: 50.7g
  • Sugar: 15.6g
  • Sodium: 65mg
  • Fiber: 13.3g
  • Protein: 10.2g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
A Southwestern salad with crispy chickpeas and an easy-to-make avocado-lime dressing. Fresh, vegan, full of delicious flavor, with a satisfying crunch!

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Level: Easy
Ingredients
For the Southwestern Salad:
  • 8 ounces coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup organic sweet corn (fresh from the cob or frozen and thawed)
  • 4 green onions, whites and pale greens, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 20 organic tortilla chips, crushed
  • Crispy Chickpeas (recipe below)
  • Avocado-Lime Dressing (recipe below)
For the Crispy Chickpeas:
  • 15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon chili powder
  • Sea salt
For the Avocado-Lime Dressing:
  • 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and halved
  • 2 limes, freshly squeezed
  • 1½ tablespoons agave nectar
  • 2½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • Sea salt
Instructions
For the Southwestern Salad:
  1. Arrange shredded cabbage, tomatoes, and corn on serving plates. Spoon Avocado-Lime Dressing over salads, stirring until veggies are well coated in dressing.
  2. Top with green onions, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, and Crispy Chickpeas. Serve.
For the Crispy Chickpeas:
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  2. Add chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder to a mixing bowl. Season thoroughly with sea salt. Stir until all chickpeas are evenly coated in oil and seasoning.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Pour chickpeas onto baking sheet, spreading them evenly across the pan.
  4. Roast in the oven until golden and crispy, about 15-20 minutes.
For the Avocado-Lime Dressing:
  1. Add avocado, lime juice, agave, and vinegar to a blender or food processor. Season with sea salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
  2. Dressing will be very thick.

 

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