Chickpea Shawarma Salad

By Minimalist Baker

All of the flavor of a Middle Eastern-inspired chickpea shawarma sandwich in a salad! Shawarma-spiced chickpeas, fresh salad, and a creamy 4-ingredient Garlic Dill sauce! A flavorful, filling, plant-based meal.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas ((rinsed, drained and dried in a clean towel))
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaping tsp cumin
• 1/2 heaping tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 heaping tsp turmeric
• 1/2 scant tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch each black pepper, ground coriander + cardamom
• 1 pinch each black pepper, ground coriander + cardamom
• 1 pinch each black pepper, ground coriander + cardamom
• 5 ounces spring mix lettuce ((organic when possible))
• 10 cherry tomatoes ((chopped // organic when possible))
• 1/4 cup red onion ((thinly sliced))
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley
• 20 pita chips ((slightly crushed // store-bought or homemade* // gluten-free if GF, or sub gluten-free crackers or cooked quinoa))
• 1/2 cup hummus (DIY or store-bought)
• 3 cloves garlic ((3 cloves yield ~ 1 1/2 Tbsp // finely minced or grated))
• 1 tsp dried dill ((or sub 2 tsp fresh dill per 1 tsp dried))
• 1 medium lemon, juiced ((1 lemon yields ~2 Tbsp or 30 ml))
• Water ((to thin))

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. 2

   Add washed and dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and all seasonings* and toss to combine. To help them cook faster and disperse the seasonings more easily, lightly mash half the chickpeas with a fork (leaving the other half whole).

3. 3

   Sample a chickpea and adjust seasonings as needed (I added more salt, cumin, and ginger). Then arrange in a single layer on a bare baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Then set aside.

4. 4

   In the meantime, prepare all salad ingredients and add to a bowl (reserving pita chips for later). Set aside.

5. 5

   To prepare dressing, add hummus, garlic, dill, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add warm water and whisk until pourable.

6. 6

   To serve, add baked chickpeas and pita chips to the salad, along with half of the dressing. Toss to combine.

7. 7

   Divide between serving dishes and serve with remaining dressing.

8. 8

   For best results, store leftovers separately (chickpeas in a container at room temperature, salad ingredients in refrigerator, dressing in a container in refrigerator, pita chips in a container at room temperature). Keeps for 2-3 days, though best when fresh.