Chef’s Kept Secret Chickpea Caesar
with Grape Tomatoes & Garlicky Croutons
- Eggs
- Soy
- Wheat
- Milk
All hail this veg-ified version of Caesar salad that our chefs dreamed up. You’ll roast chickpeas in a ranch-flavored spice until they’re crispy and crackly. Toss together fresh lettuce, grape tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, homemade croutons, and a vegetarian Caesar dressing—then romaine calm while you find yourself unable to resist this BRUT-iful salad.
Ingredients
13.4 ounce
Chickpeas
1 tablespoon
Ranch Spice
1 unit
Lemon
4 ounce
Grape Tomatoes
1 unit
Baby Lettuce
6 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
2 tablespoon
Soy Sauce
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
2 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
2 teaspoon
Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon
Hot Sauce
1 unit
Demi-Baguette
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
2 tablespoon
Olive Oil
2 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. • Drain and rinse chickpeas; dry thoroughly with paper towels. Toss on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil, half the Ranch Spice (all for 4), and ½ tsp salt (1 tsp for 4). • Roast on top rack until chickpeas are lightly crispy, 18-20 minutes (you’ll add more to the sheet after 13 minutes). (It’s natural for chickpeas to pop a bit while roasting.)
• Meanwhile, wash and dry produce. • Quarter lemon. Chop lettuce into bite-size pieces until you have 4 cups (8 cups for 4 servings). Halve tomatoes lengthwise. • In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, half the mustard, half the hot sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce (we sent more), ½ tsp garlic powder, and juice from two lemon wedges. (For 4, use all the mustard, all the hot sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, and juice from whole lemon.) (TIP: If dressing seems too thick, add water ½ tsp at a time.) Season generously with pepper.
• Cut baguette into ½-inch cubes. TIP: Slice baguette lengthwise, like you’re making a sandwich, then cut each half into ½-inch strips to make cubing extra-easy. • In a medium bowl, toss bread with remaining garlic powder, 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings) salt, and pepper until evenly coated. • Once chickpeas have roasted 13 minutes, remove sheet from oven. Carefully push chickpeas to one side of sheet. Spread bread out on empty side. (For 4 servings, leave chickpeas roasting. Use a second sheet for bread; bake on middle rack.) • Return sheet to top rack until croutons are golden brown and crisp, 5-7 minutes.
• Add lettuce to bowl with dressing; toss to thoroughly coat. (Make sure no dressing is left on the bottom of the bowl!) Add tomatoes, croutons, half the chickpeas, and half the Parmesan; toss to combine. • Divide salad between plates. Top with remaining chickpeas and remaining Parmesan. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the homemade Caesar dressing; some found it delicious while others thought it too tangy or mayo-heavy.
- Ease of prep: Simple to make, though roasting chickpeas took extra time and caused popping in some ovens.
- Suggestions: Consider adding less dressing, more lettuce, and extra veggies like cucumber or peppers for a heartier meal 🥗.
- Portions: Several felt the salad was too small for a full meal; adding protein like chicken or shrimp could make it more filling.
- Texture: Crispy chickpeas and homemade croutons added delightful crunch, though some found the chickpeas needed longer roasting.
Reviews from our home cooks
The chickpeas and the seasoning on them were great. I think there was too much salad dressing - it didn't need as much mayonnaise. I also think a regular packet of Caesar dressing would have been fine and more convenient - I didn't see the purpose of mixing mayonnaise, mustard and soy sauce. I would have preferred to just receive a packet of premade Caesar dressing.
Ate nearly the whole salad in one sitting. Thought the concept of warm chickpeas in a cold salad was strange at first, but now feel it needs to be done at all times.
Ummmm the recipe said the chickpeas would pop..... it did NOT say they would explode all over the inside of the oven and then my kitchen when I took them out 😂 I only cooked them half as long as it said because a major mess was being made
The perfect salad! Chickpeas were delicious and the homemade croutons were tasty! This just became my FAVORITE salad!!
We enjoyed this Chickpea Salad. It Had full flavor, and very saucy. First time eating a chickpea salad and I loved it
The veggie portions provided were way too small for this to be considered a meal for two people. I added mixed greens, heirloom tomatoes, and cucumbers to fill it out and extra cheese for more protein. We really liked the dressing!
This salad was so good! I was surprised that the given ingredients made such a delicious caesar dressing!
I didn't think it was going to be enough but it was! I love the chick peas roasted like that!
One of my new favorite salads!! The caesar dressing on this thing is 🔥!! Love everything about it!!
This dinner was absolutely delicious! It was surprisingly filling for a salad dinner and the homemade croutons were a delicious addition.
