Spinach Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Spiced Chickpeas
I nearly always serve a green salad with dinner, but only rarely serve one for dinner. That’s because the best main-course salads are precariously balanced things, requiring planning and forethought to come out well. You need to make sure that your mix of vegetables, proteins and starches hits all the requisite flavor and textural notes – sweet, salty, tangy, fresh, crisp, soft and rich. In the end, a main-course salad should feel both virtuous and a little decadent, and eminently satisfying.
This recipe works on all those levels. It’s got crunchy, salty chickpeas imbued with spice. There are sweet potatoes and carrots roasted until exquisitely tender. The creamy Greek yogurt dressing spiked with garlic is creamy and rich. And finally, there’s the spinach, which is earthy and fresh, and, if you use crinkly mature rather than floppy baby spinach, adds another textural element.
If you have time to let the patted chickpeas air-dry for an additional 15 to 30 minutes, they will turn especially crisp in the oven, sizzling in the olive oil that coats them.
It’s a light but complete dinner on its own. Or serve it as a hearty side dish to roasted or grilled chicken or fish.
1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots (1/2 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 thyme sprigs
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces spinach (6 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towels and spread drained chickpeas evenly on top. Pat dry with another dishtowel or paper towels.
2. Toss sweet potato and carrots with 2 tablespoons oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and top with thyme sprigs. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden-brown and very tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
3. While vegetables are roasting, toss chickpeas with 2 tablespoons oil, chili powder, cumin and a large pinch of salt. Spread on another rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven 10 minutes after you’ve put in the potatoes and carrots; roast until crisp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a large pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Add it to a small bowl and whisk in yogurt and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach, roasted vegetables, chickpeas and shallot. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat vegetables and greens and serve at once.
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