These roasted chickpea and garlic caesar salad pitas are a quick and healthy dinner that will be on your table in 30 minutes!
This post is sponsored on behalf of USA Pulses and Pulse Canada but all opinions, as always are our own. You know us, we only chat about the things we love and want to tell you about. 😉
This is the perfect recipe to add to your weeknight dinner menu! It is super easy, comes together in just 30 minutes and it’s an easy healthy choice for you and your family. Sometimes it seems like nutritious automatically sounds like it will be hard but it’s totally not, I promise. Plus, it’s a pita and who doesn’t love those? We have a hoisin pork and cucumber pita we love as well.
Is Pita Bread Gluten Free?
Traditionally, the pita bread is made with wheat flour and yeast. Wheat flour is a major source of gluten, so most traditional pita bread made from wheat flour is not low in gluten.
These chickpeas, which are really the main attraction, are tossed in Mediterranean spices and then roasted in the oven for 20 minutes along with fresh garlic. Toss some kale (romaine would work too) in your favorite Caesar salad dressing, add the chickpeas and some pre-cooked shrimp and place all in a warm pita. Dinner is served!
We are always looking for easy, simple ingredients to add to our pantry that will help us and our family lead healthier lives. Well, we recently discovered one of those ingredients in chickpeas and I’m pretty sure it’s a mom win and I totally deserve a treat this weekend because the kids loved the chickpeas! They are delicious, protein-packed, sustainable foods known as dry-peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans. We love them, not just because they are healthy, but they are one of those ingredients that lend itself to basically any flavor. Instead of over-powering other ingredients and flavors in a recipe, Chickpeas, or any pulses will only compliment and enhance the flavors around them (all while adding nutrients to our family’s diet).
What Are Chickpeas?
Originally cultivated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, have spread their culinary influence across the world.
They also come with a range of potential health benefits.
Like other legumes, such as beans, peas, and lentils, chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, and contain several key vitamins and minerals.
And did you know that May is Mediterranean Diet Month? Chickpeas (and shrimp) are a key ingredient in this heart-healthy diet and we all know who wanted that added, Cade. The guy slips shrimp in to all meals but especially during the summer months.
Is Shrimp Healthy?
Shrimp may have a variety of health benefits.
It is high in several vitamins and minerals, and is a rich source of protein.
Eating shrimp may also promote heart and brain health due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin.
roasted chickpea and garlic caesar salad pitas
Roasted Chickpea and Garlic Caesar Salad Pitas
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pulses® chickpeas
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 Tablespoon smoked garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon turmeric
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 2 whole wheat pitas
- 6 pre-cooked shrimp
- 2 cups chopped kale, romaine works as well
- 3 garlic cloves, halved
- 2 Tablespoons Caesar salad dressing, more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In small mixing bowl, combine smoked garlic powder, turmeric, dried basil and sea salt.
- In another mixing bowl, toss Pulses® chickpeas in the avocado oil
- Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of the smoked garlic mixture over the Pulses® chickpea and toss, ensuring they are well-coated.
- Place Pulses® chickpeas on baking sheet, along with garlic clove halves.
- Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When Pulses® chickpeas are done, remove from oven and set aside.
- In medium bowl, add kale, shrimp and your desired amount of Caesar dressing.
- Toss.
- Take pita and add kale/shrimp mixture.
- Top with Pulses® chickpeas.
Debra
First let me begin by saying I reference your recipes A LOT. I have to ask if the tablespoon of sea salt is correct , before proceeding with trying this….3918mg’s of salt? Wow, if correct, it doesn’t qualify as being healthy at least for my diet. Could you please clarify? The recipe as a whole sounds delish, just curious as to why so much sodium.
Thanks!
Sweet Basil
Hey Debra! When you make the blend of the spices and salt, you only end up using 1 tablespoon of the mixture if you follow the instructions so you aren’t using all that salt for one recipe. I hope that makes sense!
stanp
Have to watch my carbs..sugar..etc…this very interesting (and I’m sure delicious) recipe will fit right in and I’ll definitely try.
A few questions…
Can you substitute another oil for the avocado oil ?
Never saw “smoked” garlic powder before…easy to find ?
“Pulses” chickpeas….just a brand name or something different about them?
Thanks for any help.
Sweet Basil
Hi! You can definitely use olive oil or whatever you prefer. If you can’t find the smoked garlic powder, which is in the same section, but can be easy to miss just use regular.
Pulses is just a category so any ol’ chickpea will work. 🙂
stanp
Thanks for the reply/help.
Trying the recipe tonight !
Will rate it tomorrow.
Sweet Basil
Great! Hope you enjoy it!
stanp
Had the recipe last night and enjoyed it ery much. My wife commented that the chickpeas were very tasty.
A question though….recipe calls the spice mixture to be 4 tablespoons but you only use one on the chickpeas …what do you do with the rest ?..I did use a little more on the chickpeas.
Sweet Basil
We just store it for later. Glad you enjoyed it!
WhatMollyMade
Oh my goodness! These look absolutely amazing. I will be making these soon.
❤️Molly
Sweet Basil
Thank you!
super mario world
Look so yummy! cant wait to make this tonight!
Sweet Basil
We hope you love it!
Shawnna Griffin
hey girl- This making my mouth water! yummy!
Jill Hoddick
Is Pulses chickpeas a canned product? Drain and pat dry before adding oil and spices? What is the best way to warm the pita- oven in foil?? Thank you – sounds delicious. In Lahaina, Maui we go to a restaurant that serves roasted chickpeas and they are also delicious.
Sweet Basil
Hi Jill, pulses is just a category so you can use any chickpea, but we buy canned. We usually warm pitas in a pan, flipping once but if the oven is on or even the grill we will use that too. If you use the microwave I like to put a paper towel over them