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Looking for a salad that’s both fresh and filling? This roasted chickpea and gnocchi salad is a show stopping salad that has a little bit of everything! This is a full salad, but that’s what makes it so delicious! Each bite is a new flavor experience.
It has become our new fixation and we know you will be obsessed with it too. It is the perfect mix of fresh flavors, crunchy textures and savory flavor. A bed of peppery arugula is topped with crispy roasted chickpeas, tender potato gnocchi, salty bits of pancetta and drizzled with a sweet and tangy homemade vinaigrette.
This salad is super sharable, so whether you’re hosting a casual dinner or looking for a show stopping salad to pair with a meal to stare with fiends, this salad can feed a small crowd.
Grab some forks and let’s dig in! Scroll below for the recipe and all the details for making this show-stopping salad.
If you’re looking for more delicious dishes, check out these!
Roasted Chickpea and Gnocchi Salad
What You’ll Need
- Chickpeas
- Olive Oil
- Smoked Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Gnocchi
- Pancetta
- Arugula
- Grated parmesan
- Apple cider vinegar
- Apricot Jam*
- Salt and pepper
How to Roast Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are very simple to make and can be a great snack or topping on salads. They’re super filling and when roasted have a nice crunch. Here’s what you need to do to make roasted chickpeas…
- Start off by preheating your oven to 450ºF. You want to cook at a high temperature to make sure they roast to get crispy. Prepare a baking sheep by lining it with a piece of parchment paper. Set your baking sheet to the side.
- Next drain chickpeas in a colander and rinse with cold water. Shake as much excess water out of the colander. Line a plate with a paper towel, pour chickpeas on plate and pat completely dry with a paper towel on top. You want to make sure the chickpeas are very dry before adding oil or else they won’t get super crispy. Remove any of the skins that have come off the chickpeas.
- Once your chickpeas are dried, pour them onto baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss them in seasonings. For this recipe, we seasoned smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. You can play around with the seasonings each time you make them or they are tasty with just salt and pepper.
- Last step is roasting. Place your tray of chickpeas in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool for a several minutes before eating.
Tips for making gnocchi..
- Watch the time! Gnocchi cooks very quickly, in a matter of minutes. So make sure you are watching the clock carefully.
- Always salt your water. Adding a heavy pinch of salt to your pot of water will enhance the flavor of the gnocchi.
- Toss in olive oil after cooking. Olive oil helps to make sure the gnocchi doesn’t clump and stick together.
- If you overcook your gnocchi, bake it! If your gnocchi turns out a bit mushy, there is an easy fix: bake it! Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper, spread the boiled gnocchi on the baking sheet and baking oven for about 8-10 minutes to help remove some of the moisture. You don’t want the gnocchi to be crispy, you just want the outsides to harden a bit.
This vinaigrette only takes 3-minutes to make!
Vinaigrettes are one of the best salad dressings because they can be paired with almost any lettuce and toppings to create a delicious salad. A good vinaigrette has to have a nice balance of oil, vinegar and something sweet to balance out the acidity.
The vinaigrette we use on this roasted chickpea and gnocchi salad is tried and true. You only need 5 ingredients and it takes just about 3 minutes to make.
- Start by adding all your ingredients to a saucepan. Pour olive oil, apple cider vinegar, apricot jam and salt and pepper in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat.
- Heat over medium heat for a couple minutes, until it starts to bubble and become fragrant. Whisk to mix jam into dressing mixture.
- Remove from heat and whisk to emulsify. Your oil and vinegar will still be separated, so you will need to mix them together. There are several ways to mix them together:
- Whisk until it appears almost creamy.
- Whisk with a hand held frother.
- Pour dressing in a jar, seal with lid and shake.
You can store this vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Can I prepare this salad in advance?
Yes you can! But make sure you prep and store each ingredient in separate airtight containers. And when you’re ready to assemble your salad, reheat the pasta, pancetta and chickpeas before topping.
If you mix the arugula with toppings and dressing, your lettuce will get soggy as it sits for more than a couple hours. This isn’t ideal for texture and flavor.
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Roasted Chickpea and Gnocchi Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A bed of peppery arugula is topped with crispy roasted chickpeas, tender potato gnocchi, salty bits of pancetta and drizzled with a sweet and tangy homemade vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to season
- 16 oz gnocchi
- 6 cups of arugula
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Homemade Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp apricot jam*
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set to the side.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas with cold water. Line a plate with a paper towel, pour chickpeas on plate and pat dry with a paper towel on top. You want to make sure the chickpeas are very dry before adding oil or else they won’t get super crispy.
- Pour dried chickpeas onto baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss them in seasonings – paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool for a several minutes.
- While chickpeas are in the oven, prepare the rest of your salad ingredients. Start by boiling a large pot of water for gnocchi. Once boiling, cook gnocchi according to the package instructions, about 2-4 minutes. It cooks fast! Strain pasta and toss in some olive oil so the gnocchi doesn’t stick together.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add diced pancetta. You do not need to oil the pan because the pancetta will release grease and oil as it cooks. Cook the pancetta for about 5-6 minutes until it is crispy. Pour pancetta into a paper towel-lined bowl to catch excess grease.
- Last step before you assemble is to make your vinaigrette. Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, jam and salt and pepper to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until fragrant and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk together to emulsify. You can also add the dressing to a jar and shake to mix together. The oil and vinegar will be separated if you don’t do this step.
- Assemble your salad. In a large bowl, add arugula as the salad base. Top with gnocchi, pancetta, roasted chickpeas, and parmesan. Drizzle vinaigrette and toss into salad. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
*Any fruit jam you have on hand will work! Our favorites are apricot, raspberry and raspberry. The jam gives sweetness and extra flavor to the vinaigrette.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Assebly time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
