roasted carrot & avocado salad with curried chickpeas
This roasted carrot and avocado salad is balanced perfectly with crispy curried chickpeas and a creamy citrus dressing! Offer it up as a side or a hearty main dish.
Servings 2
Ingredients
roasted spiced carrots
- 1 bunch carrots
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
roasted curry chickpeas
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
creamy citrus dressing (makes about 1 cup)
- ¾ C cold-pressed olive oil
- ⅛ C water
- ¼ C hemp hearts
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ orange, juiced
- 3 teaspoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
salad
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 2 C mesclun salad greens
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place the carrots on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and rub with ground ginger, garam masala, and sea salt.
- Roast for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas from the can and place on a tea towel or paper towel. Rub another paper towel along them with your hands to remove the excess outer skin. You'll see many cloudy chickpea skins on the towel. Pick through and discard them.
- Toss the chickpeas in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and lay out onto a baking sheet. Roast in the oven set to 400°F for approximately 30 minutes or until toasted and dry. Baking time may vary, so keep an eye on them.
- Meanwhile, make the creamy citrus dressing while you're roasting the carrots and chickpeas. Blend all the dressing ingredients together in a high-powered blender until smooth and whipped. Refrigerate the dressing for at least 30 minutes before serving. This dressing will last 2 weeks in the fridge. It may need to be diluted and re-blended if it's separated or became more solid in the fridge due to the cold pressed oil.
- When the carrots and chickpeas come out of the oven, prepare the salads for serving. You want to serve it while the carrots are still warm. Place the carrots on a platter or plate, then top with mesclun greens, and avocado slices. Add roasted chickpeas on top and drizzle with dressing as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
I find the carrots that aren't massively thick, but more natural looking and thin, work best for this especially if you want to roast them whole. I washed them thoroughly and didn't peel them. Trim most of the green tops off but leave a little bit at the top for a rustic look.
