Southwest Chickpea Salad + Creamy Avocado-Lime Dressing
A quick n’ easy southwest chickpea salad made with fresh veggies and protein rich chickpeas topped with a delicious avocado dressing for a healthy lunch, dinner or to-go meal!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: Serves 2 - 3 1x
- Category: Entree, Salad
- Method: puree, mix
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex, Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 5 – 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh corn off the cob, canned is ok too
- 1 chile pepper (hatch, anaheim or jalapeno pepper), seeds removed and sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- tortilla strips, to serve
- handful of pepitas, to serve
- lime wedges, to serve
Avocado-Lime Dressing
- 1 medium avocado
- 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- mineral salt, to taste
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup water, + more as needed
Instructions
DIY tortilla strips: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Brush 2 corn tortillas lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a chili powder mix & mineral salt. Cut into thin strips, place on baking sheet in a single layer, bake in oven or toaster oven, rotating once, for about 10 – 12 minutes, until crisp and golden.
Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the cilantro-lime dressing in a small blender or food processor (I used the Nutri-bullet). Blend until creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed every now and then, add extra water a little at a time as needed to thin. Taste for flavor, adding anything extra. Pinch more salt? Pinch more cumin or squeeze of lime? Blend well.
Salad: Assemble your salad by adding the romaine lettuce to your serving dish, top with corn, red onion, chickpeas, tomatoes, cilantro. Lastly, add pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tortilla strips, a good drizzle of the dressing, and a squeeze of lime over the top.
Serves 2 – 3
Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, in a covered container.
Notes
Use roasted chickpeas: For added crunch, try using Crispy Roasted Chickpeas.
Dressing: If you don’t have a small personal blender, in a medium mixing bowl, mash the avocado with the ingredients using a fork or whisk, adding extra water as needed to thin until desired consistency. Blend until creamy. I haven’t tried doing it this way myself, but I know it should be fine (just be sure to mince the cilantro well before mixing). The avocado will become smooth and creamy, especially with the addition of water and lime juice to help thin it out. It may just take a few extra minutes by hand.
For a tangy dressing, try adding 1 – 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.
If you have an extra avocado, add some diced to the salad.
Find it online: https://simple-veganista.com/southwest-chickpea-salad/