Friends, prepare yourself for a hug in salad form. Crispy, roasted Moroccan-style chickpeas will upgrade your salad from boring to boujee and pairs so nicely with sweet steamed beets and crunchy peppers. Seasoned with earthy cumin, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic – this salad is so good, you’ll want to lick the bowl.
I know, I know, I bet you’d never think a salad could love you back, but this roasted Moroccan chickpea salad will have you writing love notes (on your meal plan calendar).
Plant-based salad?
While I’m on the Cabral Detox, I’ve had to totally adjust my lunchtime eating habits. I used to have animal protein 3 meals a day – for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I am half Portuguese, half Brazilian and meat happens to be a huge part of both cultures. To be honest, I thought switching to more plant-based options for lunch was going to be more difficult, but I’m actually enjoying it! I thought I was going to still be hungry from eating “just chickpeas” or “just lentils” for lunch, but every single vegetarian meal I’ve had so far while on the detox had kept me really full, surprisingly!
Don’t get me wrong, I will always be a meat and potatoes (I prefer pasta, but you get the idea) kinda gal, I will never give up meat entirely. But could I see myself eating more vegetarian after this detox is over? Absolutely.
If you’re not sold, wait til you try this recipe for Moroccan chickpea salad. Not only is it detox-friendly, but it’s filling, crunchy, it’s perfectly sweet and savory.
The best part about this roasted chickpea salad is that you can use these same ingredients in other dishes throughout the week. Steam a bunch of beets to use for beet fritters or beet cupcakes. Since you’ve already got the cutting board out, chop up some extra peppers to use for fajitas and omelets. And these chickpeas – you’ll be snacking on them all week long. They’re actually a homemade (and cheaper) version of this popular snack!
Here’s what your need:
For the salad you’ll need:
- 1 can or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas (I always batch cook a ton of chickpeas in the Instant Pot and store them in the freezer)
- 2 cups steamed beets
- 2 cups red or orange peppers (about 2 large peppers)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of ½ – 1 lemon
- 2-3 tablespoons cilantro
For the chickpea seasoning you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste (I use about ¼ tsp of each)
How to Make
- First, steam the beets. If using an oven, preheat to 400. If using an air fryer, heat to 390.
- In a bowl, add olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix. Then add the chickpeas and mix until all the chickpeas are coated.
- If using an oven, roast the chickpeas for about 40-45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so. If using an air fryer, air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking them a couple times.
- While chickpeas are roasting, chop the peppers and beets.
- Once chickpeas are done, toss all ingredients together and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
Make it Your Own!
Spices
What makes these chickpeas “Moroccan style” is the combination of cumin, garlic, paprika, turmeric, and cinnamon — it's what makes this a not-so-boring salad! You may choose to omit the paprika for a less spicy version or add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne for a more spicy version.
Another option is to add ½ teaspoon of coconut sugar to the chickpeas. Although that wouldn’t make it detox-friendly, it is very tasty!!
PROTEIN
I'm currently on a plant-based detox, but you can easily swap the chickpeas in this Moroccan salad for 1 lb of chicken and double the spice measurements as the chicken will absorb it more than the chickpeas.
Veggie Options
I love the sweet and crunchy combination of peppers and beets, but you can also add to this salad or replace veggies with cucumbers, red onions, or carrots.
Add-Ins
While these are not a detox-friendly add-ins, throwing in goat cheese and pistachios to this salad would be *chef’s kiss.* You can also add raisins or chopped dates for extra sweetness!
Let me know what combinations you try!
Moroccan Roasted Chickpea Salad
Crispy, roasted Moroccan chickpeas will upgrade your salad from boring to boujee and pairs so nicely with sweet steamed beets and crunchy peppers. Seasoned with earthy cumin, paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic – this salad is so good, you’ll want to lick the bowl.
- Air Fryer lid
- Air Fryer
- steamer basket
Salad
- 1 can or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans ((I always batch cook a ton of chickpeas in the Instant Pot and store them in the freezer))
- 2 cups steamed beets
- 2 cups red or orange peppers (about 2 large peppers)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of ½ – 1 lemon
- 2-4 tbsp cilantro
Chickpea Spices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt + pepper to taste (I use about 1/4 tsp of each)
First, steam the beets and if using an oven, preheat to 400. If using an air fryer, heat to 390.
In a bowl, add olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix. Then add the chickpeas and mix until all the chickpeas are coated.
If using an oven, roast the chickpeas for about 40-45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so. If using an air fryer, air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking them a couple times.
While chickpeas are roasting, chop the peppers and beets.
Once chickpeas are done, toss all ingredients together and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!
If you want to treat yourself with a vegan treat after this salad, try these Vegan and Gluten-free Butterfinger Dupes!
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