This roasted broccoli and chickpea salad has become one of my go-to recipes whenever I need to bring a side dish to a party. It’s easy to make ahead, delicious served at room temperature or cold, and loaded with flavor. I adapted it from a recipe I found years ago on The Yummy Beet blog, which sadly doesn’t seem to exist anymore. I’ve been throwing it together from memory since then and figured it was high time to officially document my favorite winter roasted salad recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Roasting broccoli is, in my opinion, the very best way to prepare broccoli. It tempers the bitterness while bringing out a rich, nutty flavor that makes broccoli a craveable veggie side.
- Broccoli is incredibly nutrient-dense. And while cooking broccoli (as with all vegetables) does reduce some of the nutrients, it also makes it much easier to digest. And nutrients are only as good as what you can digest.
- The chickpeas are roasted right alongside the broccoli and add a nice crunch, as well as plant-based protein and fiber.
- It’s delicious served at room temperature or cold, making it perfect for meal prep and easy to quickly serve as a side or a light meal.
How To Make Roasted Broccoli & Chickpea Salad
This roasted broccoli and chickpea salad is about as straightforward as it gets. A little chopping, a little roasting, a little tossing, and you’re ready to eat! This cold-weather salad is made using minimal ingredients but plenty of flavor
The Ingredients
Broccoli: This cold-weather veg gets the star treatment as the main ingredient in this salad. It’s also a great way to get more cruciferous veg into your diet. (More on the health benefits below!)
Chickpeas: When roasted, chickpeas take on a crunchy, chewy texture that other legumes don’t quite manage. But in a pinch, you could certainly swap another bean in their place. Or you could even leave them out altogether. I often make this salad without the chickpeas.
Avocado oil: I like to use avocado oil because it stands up to the oven’s heat and has a mild flavor that lets the veg shine.
Oregano: Oregano adds a bit of herbal pepperiness and pairs nicely with the mozzarella and red wine vinegar
Almonds: Almonds add a layer of crunch to this salad and complement the nuttiness of the roasted broccoli I’ve used several types of nuts for this recipe but almonds and pine nuts are my favorite. However, feel free to sub in any type of nut you have on hand or feel like.
Dried Cranberries: The sweetness of the dried cranberries is the perfect match for the savory, slightly bitter roasted broccoli and adds a bit of brightness to the salad. You can leave these out if you aren’t a fan but, personally, I think they kind of make the dish.
Mozzarella Cheese: While the flavor of broccoli can stand up to stronger-tasting cheeses, I love the mild creaminess of mozzarella in this salad. It mellows everything out a bit and brings it all together nicely. This salad would also be delicious with feta cheese, goat cheese, or parmesan. Or leave it out entirely for a vegan-friendly dish.
Olive Oil: A drizzle of olive oil, along with the vinegar, helps to bring everything together. It isn’t strictly necessary, though, so you could skip it if you prefer
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar gives this salad a needed layer of acidity and brightness that makes all the flavors really sing. Balsamic vinegar would also be really delicious if preferred.
Cloves: A bit of an unexpected ingredient but this warming spice adds a super subtle undertone of flavor that goes surprisingly well with broccoli. I’ve made the salad without it and it’s still delicious, so you could skip it. But if you’ve got cloves (or even allspice or nutmeg) on hand, give it a try!
Salt & Pepper: To taste.
The Method
The method is about as easy as it gets. Chopping is the only real effort and then it’s just roast, toss, and enjoy.
Chop the broccoli to large bite-size florets. They shrink in the oven, so don’t cut them too small or they’ll shrivel and burn (personal experience). Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat them dry. This helps them crisp up in the oven.
In a large bowl, add the broccoli, chickpeas, avocado oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine and coat evenly. Spread evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and set the bowl aside (you’ll use it again later). Roast the veg in a preheated oven at 400° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Give everything a good toss and let roast for another 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is starting to brown nicely around the edges.
While the broccoli is browning, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until evenly golden and fragrant. Keep an eye on these. They go from just starting to brown to burnt far faster than you expect. (Again, personal experience.)
Transfer the roasted broccoli and chickpeas back into the large bowl and add the toasted almonds and cranberries. Drizzle with the olive oil and red wine vinegar and sprinkle on the nutmeg. Toss to coat. Set aside to cool a bit. (You don’t want the cheese to melt when added.)
Once the salad has cooled to just warm or room temp, add the cubed cheese and toss again to combine. Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to serve.
My favorite way to eat this is at room temperature the day it’s made. But it’s still quite good after being refrigerated.
Nutrient-Dense Seasonal Ingredients
As if being delicious wasn’t enough, this roasted broccoli salad is also packed with nourishing, nutrient-dense, and seasonal ingredients.
Broccoli
Broccoli is a nutrient-rich vegetable packed with vitamins (C, A, K, B9) and minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and selenium. It’s also a great source of fiber and antioxidants. Thanks to its antioxidants, broccoli may help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, and chronic disease risk. Its also high in fiber, which helps support healthy digestion and a healthy gut microbiome.
One of my favorite health benefits of broccoli is for supporting detoxification. Our liver is constantly working to remove both endogenous toxins (made inside the body, like metabolic waste) and exogenous toxins (made outside the body, like the food we eat and the air we breathe). And the antioxidants in broccoli provide a crucial enzyme that supports Phase 2 detoxification, allowing our liver to neutralize and efficiently remove byproducts, waste, and toxins from our body.
Chickpeas
If I had to pick a favorite legume, chickpeas would have to be my pick. In addition to being absolutely delicious when roasted, chickpeas offer loads of health benefits. They’re rich in dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber like raffinose, which promotes healthy digestion and supports gut bacteria. They also have a low glycemic index and slow-digesting starch, making them a good option for anyone watching their blood sugar. On top of that, they stimulate the production of butyrate in the body, a short-chain fatty acid that helps in the removal of unhealthy and abnormal cells in the body.
In case that wasn’t enough, chickpeas are a great source of plant protein and are a great source of several minerals, including manganese, folate, copper, iron, and zinc.
Almonds
Almonds are a nutrient-dense snack packed with health benefits. They’re rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can help lower “bad” cholesterol and raise “good” cholesterol. Low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, almonds are an excellent option for anyone trying to manage and maintain healthy blood sugar levels. They’re also a good source of calcium, as well as magnesium zinc, vitamin K, and manganese, making almonds beneficial for bone and teeth health. And, of course, they’re a great source of antioxidants like vitamin E and flavonoids, which protect cells from oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and may safeguard brain health.
Other Posts You Might Like…
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The Trick To Foolproof Crispy Roasted Chickpeas – With minimal ingredients and a simple few tricks, these foolproof crispy roasted chickpeas are the perfect way to add crunch to any dish.
Lemon Roasted Broccoli With Parmesan And Pine Nuts – This simple lemon-roasted broccoli recipe is your new favorite veggie side. It’s topped with pine nuts and parmesan for extra flavor and crunch.
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Roasted Broccoli & Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads of broccoli about 6 cups of broccoli florets
- 1 can chickpeas 15.5 ounces
- 2-3 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Chop the broccoli to large bite-size florets and add them to a large bow. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then pat them dry. Add them to the large bowl with the broccoli. Drizzle with the avocado oil and add the dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine and evenly coat
- Spread the broccoli mixture on the prepared baking sheet and set the large bowl aside. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Give everything a good toss and then let roast for another 10-15 minutes, until the broccoli is starting to brown nicely around the edges.
- While the broccoli is browning, toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until evenly golden and fragrant. Keep an eye on them as they can go from just golden to burnt quickly.
- Transfer the roasted broccoli and chickpeas back into the large bowl and add the toasted almonds and cranberries. Drizzle with the olive oil and red wine vinegar and sprinkle on the cloves. Toss to coat then set aside to cool a bit.
- Once the salad has cooled to just warm or room temp, add the cubed cheese and toss again to combine. Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
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