This Plant-Based Caesar Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas is absolutely delicious. Not only is it gluten-free and dairy-free, but it’s also nut-free, egg-free, and vegan. This bowl makes a delicious, nutrient-dense lunch or dinner. Plus, it’s great to make ahead for meal prep.
First, we roast canned chickpeas and russet potatoes. Tossed with garlic oil, salt and powder, these turn out so flavorful.
While roasting, you make an easy plant-based creamy Caesar dressing using our Homemade Plant-Based Whole30 Mayo recipe as the base.
Then, the bowl is layered with hearty greens, avocado, pepitas, red onion, the roasted chickpeas and potatoes, and a drizzle of creamy Caesar dressing.
Make it for Meal Prep
This recipe makes four servings. If you want to use it for meal prep, be sure to keep the dressing separate until ready to serve. The dressing will make the lettuce soggy. Also, wait until you are ready to serve before cutting your avocado. This will keep everything fresh and tasty until you are ready to dive in.
About Chickpeas
Chickpeas are a legume and are also known as garbanzo beans. They are a great source of plant-based protein and a good source of fiber.
Note about Protein: To make sure this salad had enough protein for four people, we added pepitas as well. Click here to learn more about how much protein you should be getting per meal on a Plant-Based Whole30.
For this Plant-Based Caesar Bowl, we use roasted chickpeas. They are easy to roast in the oven. This gives them a great crispy texture and full flavor. Also, using canned chickpeas is budget-friendly. They are easy to find in most grocery stores in the bean aisle.
Substitutions
- Use whatever greens you prefer for the base of this bowl.
- Garlic oil really makes a flavorful difference in the chickpeas and potatoes. However, you can use just regular olive oil or avocado oil if needed.
- We use pepitas to help boost the protein of this bowl. But for a crunch, you can swap out for sunflower seeds or any chopped nut of your choice.
Plant-Based Caesar Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 (15) oz cans chickpeas drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1.5 lbs russet potatoes cut into small ½” pieces
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp garlic olive oil divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 large bunch fresh kale de-stemmed and cut into small pieces
- 1 large head romaine cut into small pieces
- 2 avocados
- 1 cup pepitas
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin
Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup compatible plant-based mayo
- 1/4 cup compatible plant-based hummus
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp juice from a jar of capers
- 1 tsp (heaping) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- soy milk to desired consistency
Instructions
- SOAK cut russet potatoes in a bowl of cold water as you prepare to roast. This will help them get more crispy.
- PREHEAT oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain potatoes and pat dry.
- COMBINE chickpeas and potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with garlic oil. Then, sprinkle them with garlic powder and garlic salt. Stir until well combined.
- SPREAD on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes, or until crispy, stirring every 15 minutes.
- MAKE Caesar dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients except the soy milk. Whisk until smooth. Add soy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency.
- SOFTEN chopped kale by tossing with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Then, gently massage with your hands until kale turns bright green and softens. This step is optional, but fantastic to get sometimes tough kale to a great consistency.
- BUILD your bowl by layering kale, lettuce, roasted chickpeas and potatoes, sliced onion, pepitas, and half a sliced avocado. Top with dressing when ready to serve and additional garlic salt, if desired, to taste.
