This chickpea, pumpkin and quinoa salad with vegan green goddess dressing is bursting with protein, fiber and disease fighting antioxidants. It’s a salad that’ll keep you full and energized to take on the rest of your day!
If you’re looking for a nutritious salad that could also work as a meal, give this chickpea, pumpkin and quinoa salad with vegan green goddess dressing a try!
The ingredients in this salad pack a powerful nutritional punch
- Pumpkin: Packed with immunity boosting vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin E, iron and folate.
- Quinoa: Rich in fiber and protein. Just one cup has 8g of protein and 5g of fiber! Quinoa is also a good source of nutrients such as magnesium, manganese, zinc and iron.
- Spring mix: Typically a mix of fresh baby lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula and other lettuces. Leafy green are nutritional powerhouses, bursting with vitamins and antioxidants.
- Red onion: Powerful antioxidant that’s high in vitamin C, B and potassium.
- Pumpkin seeds: Loaded with vitamins and minerals such as manganese, vitamin K and zinc.
Save time by using the same ingredients in multiple meals!
There’s a few components in this recipe that needs cooking separately. If you are short on time, I have some recommendations to put this salad together much faster. The key is to cook extra of certain components that you are making for other meals. You’ll save a lot of time and dishes! Also, you’ll be more likely to eat healthier because the ingredients are already prepared and sitting in your fridge.
For example:
- Quinoa: You can use quinoa or any whole grain like farro as a substitute. If you happen to be making another recipe that requires it during the week, make extra and keep it in the fridge to use for other meals. Whole grains are great to throw into salads, for making grain bowls, fried “rice” or to eat with curries and stir fries.
- Air fryer chickpeas: These are excellent for snacking and adding to salads. You can make a big batch and store them in an airtight container to use as needed.
- Roasted pumpkin: When I’m roasting vegetables, I like to roast extra so I can eat them as sides on different days. They’re also great for pureeing into a soup with some chicken or vegetable stock like this immune boosting pumpkin soup. I also like to use it to blend into pumpkin pancakes or pumpkin waffles for extra nutrition.
- Green goddess dressing: Sometimes I like to make a double batch of this dressing and keep it in the fridge to dress other salads like this roasted sweet potato and kale salad or as a veggie dip.
What is green goddess dressing?
Green goddess dressing is typically made with mayonnaise or sour cream, chervil, chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice and pepper. Now, there are many interpretations like lightened up versions using yogurt, any variety of green herbs and vegan versions like this recipe. This vegan version uses cashews to achieve the creaminess and nutritional yeast and garlic to give it depth of flavour.
Its said that a chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco created it for the actor George Arliss to celebrate his hit play The Green Goddess. With a name like that, who wouldn’t want to eat this dressing?
Green goddess ingredients are full of nutritional wins!
- Cashews: Loaded with heart healthy fats and plant protein. Also, rich in copper, magnesium and manganese which are important for energy and brain health.
- Lemon juice: High in vitamin C.
- Garlic: Helps boost the immune system to reduce the severity of cold and flus. May help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Nutritional yeast: Great source of protein, B vitamins and minerals. Also contains powerful antioxidants to boost immunity.
- Cilantro: Contains vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, and manganese.
- Salt and pepper: To season the dressing.
For more delicious salads, check out:
- Mediterranean farro salad
- Roasted sweet potato and kale salad with vegan green goddess dressing
- Strawberry romaine salad with honey walnuts
- Mediterranean salad
- Roasted pumpkin salad with spring greens, feta and cashews
Chickpea, pumpkin and quinoa salad with vegan green goddess dressing
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 cup lightly packed cilantro or mix of any green herbs you like eg. parsley, basil, mint
For the air fryer chickpeas in the salad
- 1 can 440g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon cajun spice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt if your cajun spice doesn’t already have salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the rest of the salad
- 6 cups spring mix salad
- 3/4 cups quinoa
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 2 and 1/2 cups pumpkin cubed
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting the pumpkin
- Pinch of salt and pepper for roasting the pumpkin
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
Instructions
For the dressing
- In a high-powered blender add cashews, water, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add more water if needed.
- Add nutritional yeast and cilantro. Blend.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. It might need more salt, pepper or lemon juice if you like a more seasoned and tart dressing.
For the air fryer chickpeas
- Drain and rinse chickpeas.
- Mix with spices and oil.
- Spread them in the air fryer.
- Cook at 200 degrees C or 390 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Stop the air fryer half way to give it a shake. As air fryers may vary, check the chickpeas at 10 minutes and see if they are crunchy. If not, air fry them longer until they are as crunchy and crispy as you like.
For the salad
- Preheat oven to 400°F or 205°C. Dice pumpkin and season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until pumpkin is tender. Allow to cool before adding to the salad.
- Cook quinoa with 1 and 1/2 cups water. Cover, boil and then turn the burner down to a simmer. Approximately 10 minutes cooking time. Transfer to a bowl. Fluff with a fork and let it cool down.
- In a large salad bowl, add spring mix, quinoa, pumpkin, red onion, air fryer chickpeas, and pumpkin seeds. Add 1 and 1/2 cup of the salad dressing and toss.
- If there’s any left over dressing, you can keep it in the fridge to dip with veggies or use for another salad. Enjoy!
