Cook: 30 This delicious Roasted Chickpea Fall Salad is crisp and hearty! Made with chopped kale, crunchy pepitas, walnuts, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries and chickpeas roasted with oil, turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon, this salad is one of the BEST for fall. Top it off with a sweet or savory vinaigrette and enjoy!
I am ALL about a good, hearty, non-boring salad. Especially when it’s as unique and delicious as this Roasted Chickpea Fall Salad! The crunchy textures of the kale, nuts, and seeds combined with tandoori-inspired roasted chickpeas and the sweet, juicy flavors of pomegranate arils and dried cranberries is a total TREAT! Top it off with a delicious Apple Cider Vinaigrette and this fall salad is next level.
Whether you’re making this fall salad as a vegan main dish or a holiday side dish, this recipe is loaded with protein, nutrition, yummy autumn flavors, and one that everyone will want more of!
Why You’ll Love This Chickpea Salad Recipe
- 30 Minutes – Everything comes together quickly, making this an easy lunch, side dish, or light dinner.
- Hearty & Filling – Roasted chickpeas, walnuts, pepitas, and kale make this salad feel satisfying enough to enjoy on its own.
- 14 Grams of Protein – I love that the chickpeas, nuts, and seeds add plant-based protein to make this salad more balanced.
- Fall Flavors – Cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cranberries, and pomegranate make every bite taste cozy and fresh.
- Gluten-Free & Vegan – This is a great recipe for holidays, gatherings, or meal prep when you need something everyone can enjoy.
- Easy to Customize – Use kale, spinach, arugula, or mixed greens. You can also switch up the nuts, seeds, or vinaigrette depending on what you have!
Chickpea Salad Ingredients
The great thing about hearty salads like this one is that you can make them your own. Here’s what I used in this Roasted Chickpea Fall Salad, but feel free to make substitutions as needed!
- Chopped Kale – Or spinach, or arugula, or any type of green that you want. You can also use this salad chopper and bowl (opens in a new tab) to make your own chopped kale!
- Seeds & Nuts – Pepitas, walnuts, pecans, or any of the above! Any seed or nut should work in this recipe and is great for adding texture, healthy fats, and protein.
- Pomegranate Arils – I love love love pomegranate during this time of the year. However, I highly recommend purchasing pomegranate arils (opens in a new tab) instead of removing them yourself – huge time saver!
- Dried Cranberries – Any type of dried fruit would also work in this recipe.
- Roasted Chickpeas – Olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, (opens in a new tab) ginger, a dash of salt, and a can of chickpeas (opens in a new tab) makes for the yummiest tandoori-inspired roasted chickpeas!
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette – Grab the recipe for my favorite Apple Cider Vinaigrette HERE! It’s so perfect for this fall salad!
How to Make Salad with Chickpeas
Making a hearty fall salad is so easy to do! In just 4 easy steps and 20-30 minutes, this salad can be completely put together and on the table with minimal effort. Here’s how to make it:
1. Roast the chickpeas in olive oil with seasoning.
2. Combine the kale, seeds, nuts, pomegranate arils, and dried fruit.
3. Toss in the roasted chickpeas.
4. Drizzle with a vinaigrette and enjoy!
How to Serve Chick Peas Salad
- For Lunch – Serve it as-is for a crunchy, colorful, plant-based lunch that’s easy to prep.
- Extra Protein – Add grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, tofu, or extra roasted chickpeas to make it even more filling.
- Holiday Side Dish – The pomegranate arils, cranberries, walnuts, and pepitas make this salad so pretty for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Christmas.
- With Soup – Pair it with a cozy bowl of butternut squash soup, tomato soup, or veggie soup for an easy fall dinner.
- Grain Bowl – Serve it over quinoa, farro, brown rice, or wild rice to turn it into a hearty bowl.
- With a Creamy Topping – Add avocado, goat cheese, feta, or a dairy-free cheese alternative for extra creaminess.
- With Extra Dressing – Apple cider vinaigrette is delicious here, but a maple Dijon vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette, or tahini dressing would also be SO good.
Storing Chick Pea Salad
One of my favorite things about this salad is that you can actually make a big batch of it and enjoy it for up to 2 days! Store the salad in a sealed salad bowl or airtight container (opens in a new tab) in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
More healthy salad dressing and vinaigrette ideas
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Vegan Turmeric Ginger Dressing
- Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing
- Easy Classic Lemon Vinaigrette
More fall salad ideas
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Roasted Beets & Sweet Potato Salad
- Golden Beet Pecan Detox Salad
- Pomegranate Pecan Salad w/ Cinnamon Apples
- Turmeric Sweet Potato Pasta Salad
Loving this recipe? Be sure to let us know by giving it a rating below!
Chickpeas Salad
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (opens in a new tab)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup walnut halves
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (opens in a new tab)
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (opens in a new tab)
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette (opens in a new tab)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together.
- Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
- Toss the chopped kale, pepitas, walnuts, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries, and vinaigrette together.
- Add in the roasted chickpeas, toss, and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use kale, spinach, or arugula, or any type of green that you want. You can also use this salad chopper and bowl (opens in a new tab) to make your own chopped kale, too!
- Store the salad in a sealed salad bowl or airtight container (opens in a new tab) in the refrigerator to keep it fresh for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Did you make this? I’d love to see!
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A friend served this when they had our family over for dinner, and we all inhaled it, so naturally I needed the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for the review.
Hi! Would it be odd to pair this with a zucchini, tomato, Italian sausage soup? If so- what soup would you recommend pairing this salad with? Thank you!! Love this salad
Great question! The chickpeas have a little bit of a cinnamon flavor, so I’m not sure that I would pair the salad with those flavors. I would maybe try a creamy butternut squash soup!
Love this recipe! I omitted the pomegranates and added apples, celery and feta. I also air fried the chickpeas. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!!
My family loved it. The whole bowl was gone and people were scraping the bottom and my sister in law actually licked the serverware to get the flavor. She’s never done that. Thank you!!
I’m so glad your family loved this recipe! Thanks for making it.
This looks so good! What a great dish to make for friends!