Summer is coming and that means allllll the loaded salad bowls! And we’re kicking off the warm weather salad vibes with this gem right here – a loaded greek salad bowl with crispy chickpeas and creamy jalepeño dressing!
I first had the notion to put together a greek salad bowl during a lunch date with myself at Oddfellows Cafe here in Seattle. If you’re ever in Seattle do yourself a favor and brunch, lunch, or have dinner there! It’s a great space with delicious food + and a wonderful drink selection.
They had a special running for a greek salad, and I sorta fell in love with it.
The weekend after that we were heading out to the coast to vacation on the beach for memorial day weekend with some friends of ours, and needed to plan all of our meals for the trip. I tried my hand at throwing together a loaded greek salad and it turned out so great. I knew with a couple more simple tweaks it was destined to be shared with you.
why you’ll love this loaded greek salad bowl
It comes piled high with tender spicy greens, sweet tomatoes, briny and buttery casteltravano olives (these olives bring me to my KNEES!), fresh cucumbers, cubed smoked turkey, spiced crispy chickpeas, all the fresh herbs, green onions, and a little feta cheese to set it off IF that’s your style.
And did I mention it’s topped with a creamy jalepeño dressing ? 🙂
I DIE.
This situation is pretty much salad heaven, you guys.
Definitely not a classic greek salad, but we’ve all probably had our fair share of that, right?
The thing that really makes me super happy about this salad is how much GOOD + FLAVORFUL STUFF is packed in there.
There’s nothing worse than a salad that doesn’t satisfy. It’s so disappointing. It feels like some kind of punishment.
Punishment salads are the worst.
I am a big advocate for eating as many things as possible that make you wanna jump up and down they’re so good!
And this salad is probably gonna do just that.
It’s:
- Fresh
- Vibrant
- Quick and Easy to make
- Satisfying
- Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or to pack for lunches for the week
the creamy jalepeño dressing
This lovely green dressing is made with a ton of flavorful and delightful ingredients, and comes together in the blender in less than a minute!
My kind of easy.
To be honest, I almost called it a jalepeño ranch, because it has a lot of the characteristics of ranch dressing. But greek salad with ranch dressing? I thought that might be just a bit confusing. So we’ll just keep it simple and go with creamy jalepeño dressing.
What’s in the dressing?
- jalepeños
- cilantro
- chives
- shallot
- greek yogurt (you could substitute mayonnaise or soaked raw cashews for a dairy free version!)
- lemon juice
- white wine vinegar
- olive oil
- a touch of maple syrup
- salt and pepper
I do share this recipe with a disclaimer though, once you try it, you’re going to want to put it on EVERYTHING!
Not that it’s a bad problem to have. An extra sauce in your arsenal is never a bad thing. I’m imagining it drizzled over burgers, as a dipping sauce for oven fries, a little extra something for your morning eggs, a dipping sauce for spicy hot wings, and ON AND ON!
You get the idea. It’s one of those universally awesome sauces no matter what you eat it with.
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! when you rate my recipes and leave feedback it helps me continue to improve. you can leave me a comment below, or snap a picture and post it to instagram with the tag @nyssaskitchen or hashtag #nyssaskitchen! xo
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Loaded Greek Salad bowl with crispy chickpeas and creamy jalepeno dressing {gluten free + dairy free option}
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Loaded greek salad bowl with crispy chickpeas and creamy jalepeño dressing is satisfying and easy to make! Packed with crisp greens, loads of veggies, buttery casteltravano olives, crispy chickpeas and feta cheese it’s a salad lovers DREAM!
Ingredients
FOR SALAD
- several large handfuls of arugula or another tender green
- 1 heart of romaine cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 small persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 lb cubed smoked turkey
- 1/2 cup casteltravano olives, sliced in half
- fresh herbs of choice (I used cilantro and chives)
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- micro-greens of any kind (optional)
- feta cheese (optional)
for chickpeas
- 1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 1 tsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion granules
for creamy jalepeño dressing
- 1 small jalepeno, de-seeded (you may include some seeds if you want it to by spicy!)
- 1 tsp grated shallot (or red onion)
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt (you may substitute high quality mayonnaise or 2 tbsp soaked raw cashews for a dairy free option)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
for chickpeas
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Drain chickpeas and pat dry on a cutting board with paper towels or dish towels.
- Toss with avocado oil, salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder.
- Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven, toss and bake for another 3 minutes, until hot and crispy.
- Season again with salt if desired and set aside to cool.
for creamy jalepeño dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until bright green and well emulsified.
- Set aside.
for salad assembly
- Arrange tender salad greens, romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, turkey, olives, herbs, green onions, micro-greens (if using), feta cheese (if using) in a large bowl, or into individual bowls.
- Top with crispy chickpeas and serve with creamy jalepeño dressing.
Notes
If all salad ingredients are kept seperate in the refrigerator (besides the tomatoes which should never be refrigerated for optimal texture and flavor) this makes a great make ahead lunch option. Assemble in a small container the night before, packing the dressing in a separate container for a drool worthy lunch!
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
Eran Afner says
Yum! I just ate this delicious salad for dinner. I made a vegan version. Instead of turkey I used tofu. Extra firm, cubed and sautéed in sunflower oil, seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic powder and cumin. For the dressing I used Veganaise instead of yogurt and of course omitted the feta. Other than that, I followed the recipe. Super tasty!
Nyssa Tanner says
Eran! Yes! I love the creativity you used to make a vegan version. Your modifications sound super delicious! So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Lenore Walker says
This looks delicious! Must try roasting chickpeas.
Nyssa Tanner says
Yes! You’ll love them, Lenore. They add some nice texture and great savory flavor! ☺️