Vegan Chopped Salad

This vegan chopped salad is filled with a colorful mix of crunchy vegetables, spicy pepperoncini, and hearty chickpeas for a tasty salad that can be served as a side dish or a main dish!

It’s no surprise that I love vegetables and I eat a lot of salads. I love the combination of textures and flavors and it’s such an easy way to sneak in a lot of vegetables in one dish. But recently, I realized that most of my salad recipes weren’t vegan! While I love a little salty feta or creamy goat cheese, I wanted to create a salad recipe that my dairy-free friends could enjoy!

I love chopped salads, so you get a taste of everything in each bite. It takes a few minutes to chop all the veggies, but after that, it comes together quickly! Canned chickpeas add a quick and easy source of protein to make this salad more filling, and the easy dressing can be whipped up in a minute.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Romaine- I like crunchy lettuce like romaine for this salad, but you could substitute with your favorite green like butter lettuce, leafy green lettuce, or even iceberg.
• Cucumber- I like using English cucumbers which have thinner skin and a delicious, crunchy texture, but any cucumber is fine.
• Bell pepper- I used an orange bell pepper for color and slight sweetness, but a red or yellow pepper would work great!
• Red onion- I like the sharp bite of red onion but if you want something milder, try a thinly sliced shallot.
• Tomatoes– I used cherry tomatoes and diced them in a vegetable chopper but you can use any type of tomato, chopped into pieces.
• Pepperoncini– I love the spicy kick this adds to the salad but if you don’t like spicy peppers, you can skip these!
• Chickpeas– These are a quick and easy way to add protein to the salad. You could substitute with white beans like cannellini beans or great northern beans, if you prefer.

Tips for the Perfect Salad

Finely chopping the vegetables helps distribute the vegetables so you get a little bit of everything in each bite. To speed up the process, I use this vegetable chopper. It works great!

If you’re washing your romaine, I recommend using a salad spinner to get it really dry before adding it to the salad. If the lettuce is wet, the dressing won’t stick to the lettuce and you’ll end up with a watery salad. I have this OXO salad spinner and it works great!

Additional Ideas

• If you’re looking to switch things up, try adding homemade whole wheat croutons or polenta croutons to add a hearty texture and slight crunch to this salad.
• You can use your favorite bottled salad dressing if you don’t want to make your own. I recommend an Italian dressing or an herb vinaigrette.
• For a different twist, try roasting the chickpeas before adding them to the salad. They create a delicious crunch!

More Vegan Salad Recipes

• Southwestern Quinoa Salad
• Simple Chickpea Salad
• Citrus Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

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