When you’re looking for a quick dinner that’s both healthy and hearty, there’s nothing better than this roasted chickpea and sweet potato salad! Tossed with a light honey balsamic vinaigrette, this fresh salad can be savored as a main dish or enjoyed as a starter or side.
This easy little salad is going to be perfect for the colder months coming up, especially on days when I’m looking for something nourishing, but also flavorful and warming!
One of my favorite things about salads is that you can easily adapt them to incorporate whatever ingredients you have on hand. While this salad is vegetarian, you could definitely add in a bit of cooked chicken if you have meat lovers in your family. And although I used arugula and spinach as the base of my salad, you could switch them out for romaine, kale or a mix of your favorite leafy greens!
roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas
While we do try to eat balanced and healthy-ish meals, we’re not usually the salad-for-dinner type of people (unless that salad is topped with prosciutto and fried goat cheese)! But because chickpeas and sweet potatoes are both filling and nutritious, this is one of the few salads that we often enjoy as a main dish. The chickpeas provide an excellent source of plant-based protein and the sweet potatoes are full of great nutrients!
Because I generally cut my sweet potatoes into rounds, they require a bit more cooking time than the chickpeas. If you want to cut down on cook time, you can chop your sweet potato into smaller cubes (about ¾ inch or 2 cm). This way they’ll need the same amount of time in the oven as the chickpeas and you can just toss everything together and cook for about 25 minutes!
honey balsamic vinaigrette
Homemade salad dressings are not only cleaner and fresher than the store-bought variety, but also decidedly less expensive! And because they’re so simple to make using just pantry ingredients, they’re an excellent way to incorporate more greens into your diet!
This homemade balsamic vinaigrette is one of our favorite homemade dressings and a great way to dress up any salad! The best part? You only need five ingredients — olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, a clove of garlic and a pinch of salt!
ingredients
roasted sweet potato and chickpea salad
- sweet potato 1 large
- chickpeas 1 can (15 oz/400 g)
- olive oil 2 tbsp
- salt ½ tsp
- cumin ½ tsp
- paprika ½ tsp
- chili powder ½ tsp
- garlic powder ½ tsp
- spinach 5 oz (140 g)
- arugula 5 oz (140 g)
- chopped walnuts optional
- pomegranate arils optional
honey balsamic vinaigrette
- olive oil 4 tbsp
- balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp
- honey 1 tbsp
- minced garlic 1 clove
- salt to taste
instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub the sweet potato* and cut it into rounds about ½ inch (13 mm) thick. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, making sure to dry thoroughly.
- Combine the salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Using 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half of the spice mixture, coat the sweet potatoes. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potato rounds are cooking, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spice mixture with the chickpeas.
- After 15 minutes, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, flip and add the chickpeas to the pan. Return to oven and cook for 25 minutes or until chickpeas are crispy and sweet potato is tender.
- Combine all ingredients for the honey balsamic vinaigrette in a jar. Cover and shake until combined. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Place the greens in a large bowl, top with roasted sweet potato and chickpeas and drizzle with honey balsamic vinaigrette to taste. Add chopped walnuts and pomegranate arils if desired.
notes
- sweet potato: I left the sweet potato skin on, but you can peel your sweet potato if you'd rather!
Did You Make This Recipe?
