Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad

WHY WE LOVE IT: Caesar is a salad that's long been misunderstood. It was not named for an emperor, but for a restauranteur named Caesar Cardini, from Tijuana Mexico. Equally flummoxing is that it is often as fattening and caloric as most steak dinners. But delicious!  Which is why we were so excited to find this recipe, fully plant-based and packed with protein and fiber, without all bad-for-you ingredients usually whipped into the dressing.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:

For the Salad:

  • 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
  • 2 Tbsp Roasted Chickpeas
  • 2 Tbsp Creamy Caesar Dressing

For the Roasted Chickpeas:

  • 1 can (14-oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 3 ½ cups)
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt

For the Creamy Caesar Dressing:

  • ¼ cup cashews (soaked for 2 hours or overnight and drained)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp shoyu or tamari
  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 Tbsp capers
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. On the baking sheet, add all the ingredients for the chickpeas and toss to combine.
  4. Bake for about 35 minutes, tossing chickpeas once or twice during baking (chickpeas should be crunchy, not tender).
  5. While the chickpeas roast, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing in a high-speed blender and mix until smooth.
  6. Combine the chopped romaine lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes, hemp seeds, and the Roasted Chickpeas in a bowl.
  7. Drizzle the Creamy Caesar Dressing over the salad.
  8. Toss to coat.

Nutritional Notes:

313 calories, 16g protein, 44g carbs, 11g fiber, 14g fat

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