Name: Chopped Salad Recipe with Crispy Chickpeas and Cucumbers
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups chopped romaine hearts; 1 cup prepared coleslaw mix ( shredded cabbage and carrots); 1 cup sliced cucumber; ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese; ⅓ cup chopped cashews, roasted and salted; 2 cups of Crispy Air Fried Chickpeas; ½ cup Crispy Gluten Free Bread Crumbs; 1 recipe Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed salad dressing

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Tender greens, crisp cucumbers, a sharp bite from parmesan cheese, and a burst of crunch from the crispy chickpeas, cashews and savory breadcrumbs. Topped off with a sweet lemony dressing, this salad is an absolute star of a side dish for any meal.

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What's in this Salad?
Why This will be Your New Favorite Chickpea Salad
Great Additions to a Great Salad
How to Make this Salad Step by Step
How to Store Leftovers
Chopped Salad Recipe with Crispy Chickpeas and Cucumbers
Sandwiches + Salads = Delicious
💬 Comments

What's in this Salad?

chopped salad with chickpeas and cucumber

I feel like I hit the jackpot when I came up with this wonderful combination of flavors! We’ve had some chickpea salads, but never any that are this bright, crunchy, and bursting with so much flavor. It is a study in contrasts: crunchy + creamy, sweet + salty, green + ... brown (they are contrasting colors after all) 😄

Chopped romaine lettuce
A bagged coleslaw mix, which is just shredded cabbage and carrots
Cucumber - try to get a crunchy and mild English or Asian variety if possible, it really makes a difference.
Fresh shredded parmesan cheese, not the powdered kind
Roasted and salted cashews
Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing - this is a fresh yogurt dressing with lemon juice and sweetened with honey. Perfection!
Crispy roasted chickpeas - check out my air fryer method for the crispiest results
Crispy Gluten Free Breadcrumbs

Make sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.

Why This will be Your New Favorite Chickpea Salad

This recipe couldn’t be easier once you chop up the ingredients. This original salad idea has turned into 3 extra recipes, all equally as easy to make: Creamy Lemon Poppyseed Dressing, Gluten Free Crispy Breadcrumbs, and Air Fried Crispy Chickpeas.

The prep for this salad takes just a few minutes, especially if you already have a batch of crispy breadcrumbs on hand (I keep some in the fridge). You can go from thinking “I don’t know if I really want to make a salad tonight” to landing it on the table in about 20 minutes.

This salad is an excellent side to nearly any main dish, but we especially love it with gluten free tuna noodle casserole, chicken dijon with mushrooms and bacon, and one pot chili mac.

Great Additions to a Great Salad

This salad is a great recipe as is, but there are always ways to kick it up a notch. Here are some excellent additions:

Add some cold rotisserie chicken to this salad to make it a main dish meal.
Bell pepper or other favorite fresh veggies, like broccoli
Change the cheese: instead of parmesan try another sharp cheese like extra sharp white cheddar (highly recommended!), gorgonzola, or even blue cheese.
The tangy, sweet lemon poppyseed dressing really is the crowning glory of this salad, but ranch dressing is also good.

How to Make this Salad Step by Step

Step 1. Shake up some Creamy Lemon Poppyseed dressing.

Step 2. Add salad greens, chopped cabbage and carrots to a bowl.

Step 3. Arrange cucumbers, shredded parmesan cheese, crispy chickpeas, and cashews on top.

Step 4. Serve with salad dressing and pass around the crispy gluten free breadcrumbs.

How to Store Leftovers

Okay, wait. You have leftovers? Even though this salad is lick-the-plate delicious, sometimes even we have some left over.

This salad is at its best when made fresh, so serve it immediately. But every once in a while, we do have a little bit left over. If you store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge, you will probably be able to get away with having some for lunch the next day (or breakfast, as I did the day after taking the photos😋). But after one day it does get really soggy. Enjoy it while you can!