Chickpea Taco Salad is the ultimate meatless Taco Tuesday meal. In this dish, crunchy roasted chickpeas are tossed together with crushed tortilla chips chips and fresh veggies in one cozy bowl. Creamy dairy-free chipotle lime dressing gives the dish a spicy kick. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
Chickpea Taco Salad
I'm a sucker for tacos. I make them at least once a week, and I’m constantly playing with fillings and toppings, so I rarely make the same type twice. I often use the leftovers to make a taco salad the next day, piling the filling on top of a bed of lettuce and tomatoes and garnishing it with my crushed tortilla chips. Beause I love a good salad, sometimes I find myself craving the salad more than the actual tacos. On those occasions, I’ll throw some beans and seasonings together, or I’ll roast chickpeas, like I did in this recipe.
How to Make Roasted Chickpea Taco Salad
This recipe is easy to make!
- Preheat your oven to 400°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place your chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle on the olive oil and lime juice. Next you add the spices and mix everything to coat.
- Next you bake the chickpeas for for 20 minutes, and then carefully roll the chickpeas around on the baking sheet. Bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Once your chickpeas have cooked, let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. They’ll crisp up as they sit.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender and mix until smooth.
- Finally, you mix together all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. You toss in the roasted chickpeas, and then drizzle on the dressing.
Air Fryer Instructions
Since getting an air fryer, I usually roast my chickpeas in it. They take about half the time in the air fryer as they do in the oven. Cook your chickpeas at400°F for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point.
In my air-fryer they cook up in about 20 minutes, but since air fryer cooking times can vary, they might be ready in just 15 in others.
Raw Cashews
This recipe will work with roasted cashews, but raw, unroasted, and unsalted work best. Raw nuts and seeds are softer and easier to blend than the roasted variety. I’ve also found that using the roasted type can change the taste of the recipe, giving it a slightly burnt flavor.
Soaking your cashews can help them blend easier. I have a Blendtec, and I still soak nuts for about 2 hours before blending them. After soaking them, you should drain them and give them a quick rinse.
Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing
If you don't feel like making your own dressing, you can use a store-bought non-dairy chipotle sauce.. I like Chipotle Bitchin’ Sauce.
How to Customize Your Taco Salad
Feel free to change you salad ingredients to your liking!
- You can add whatever taco fixin's strike your fancy. Try jalapeno slices, diced onion, and chopped olives.
- Instead of chickpeas, you can used black beans or white beans.
- You can drizzle a little Cashew Cheese Sauce on your salad or sprinkle on non-dairy cheese shreds. I like Violife Colby Jack Shreds.
- Instead of the chipotle lime dressing, you can use Jalapeno Lime Aioli.
Roasted Chickpea Taco Salad with Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing
Ingredients
For the Chickpeas
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 14/ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- pinch cayenne pepper
For the Creamy Chipotle Lime Dressing
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 ½ tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ crushed red pepper flakes
For the Salad
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped (about 1 large head or two small heads)
- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 scallions sliced
- 1 avocado diced
- 6 ounces tortilla chips lightly crushed (about 2 cups)
Instructions
Make the Chickpeas
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle on the olive oil and lime juice. Add the spices and mix to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, and then carefully roll the chickpeas around on the baking sheet. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn. Let the chickpeas cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. They’ll crisp up as they sit.
Make the Dressing
- Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a blender and mix until smooth.
Make the Salad
- Mix together all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss in the roasted chickpeas, and then drizzle on the dressing. Divide among four bowls. Serve immediately.
Notes
More Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:
- Fattoush Salad
- Chinese Tofu Salad from Wait, That’s Vegan?! by Lisa Dawn Angerame
- Greek-Inspired Mediterranean Salad
- Tempeh Fajita Salad
More Chickpea Recipes You Might Enjoy Include:
- Chickpea Waldorf Salad
- Asian Inspired Spicy Chickpea and Cabbage Salad
- Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpeas
- Avocado and Chickpea Salad
Mary Ellen | VNutrition
Oooh, this looks absolutely delicious Dianne! That dressing I'd put on anything. 🙂 Love that those chips are non-GMO - too much is genetically modified now.
Jenn
I love taco salad! And I especially love the sound of this Chipotle Lime Dressing! Perfect for Taco Tuesday tomorrow!
Becky Striepe
Oh my goodness, this looks so good! I'm trying to eat more salads this spring and summer, and this one is definitely going on my to make list!
Dreena Burton
There's something about southwest flavors/dishes that make for the BEST vegan meals. Your salad looks divine, Dianne! I'm a fan of Beanfields too - they're crazy good chips.
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
This is totally my kind of salad, Dianne! I love it!
Cadry
Now this looks like my kind of salad! I am a sucker for tacos too. We have them at least once a week, and usually we'll have burritos, taco salad, or taco pizza at some point too. All the taco flavored things, please!
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes
Yum! I saw this on Instagram and immediately fell in love it! Making it tonight for dinner 😉
Dianne
Thank you, Vanessa! I hope you enjoy it!
Dianne
Thanks, Cadry. Yes – all of the taco things!
Dianne
Thank you, Amy!
Dianne
Thank you, Dreena!
Dianne
Thanks, Becky! I hope you enjoy it!
Dianne
Thanks, Jenn!
Dianne
Thank you, Mary Ellen!
Sarah
I love taco salads—easier to eat! And using chick peas is awesome—one of my very favorites! Can't wait to try!
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
This looks fantastic! I love everything about it! The chickpeas roasted in the seasonings is so good sounding!
Dianne
Thanks, Sarah! I hope you enjoy it!
Dianne
Thank you, Patrick!
Linda @ Veganosity
Yum! There's nothing like a good taco salad, and that dressing sounds amazing.
Dianne
Thanks, Linda!