Spring Hummus Salad
This hummus salad is everything spring calls for. It’s a flavor-packed, veggie-forward meal that feels colorful and bright; fills you up after a day in the sun; and requires minimal effort.
A simple mix of carrot, turnip (a super sweet root vegetable you should definitely have on your radar if you don’t already), and radish (which becomes unrecognizably tender and sweet) get roasted up to deliciously tender perfection. Adding a can of chickpeas to the roasting tray provides a crispy, crouton-like protein boost. Plate it over fresh greens for lots of nutritional value. Then serve it with a generous helping of super simple 5-minute homemade hummus (or use store-bought to make this dish even easier). Top the hummus salad with an easy fresh lemon & parsley sauce to make the flavors pop.
All that said, this salad plate is extremely customizable. So feel free to adapt to what you have on hand or like best.
- Craving a little extra sweetness? Add a few fresh blackberries or a little thinly sliced pear.
- Craving some extra healthy fat? Add a little sliced avocado.
- Want to add a little extra nutrition? Add a handful of mild flavored sprouts (broccoli, pea, or sunflower are quite mild. Radish will be very spicy.).
- Craving a garlick-y punch? Throw a head of garlic (cut off the top and rub a little olive oil over the top) on the tray with all the other roasted veggies. Then mince it and toss it with the veggies. Roasting the garlic creates a much rounder and less pungent flavor that works very well with the other roasted veggies.
- Can’t find turnips? Swap them for rutabaga (a close relative). You could also use other root veggies like red or golden beets , parsnips, or very small new potatoes. The flavor won’t be exactly the same (turnips are wonderfully sweet and have a unique flavor), but the dish will still work beautifully with whatever root veggies you especially love or have on hand. Just be sure to cut the veggies at a similar thickness so they roast in the same amount of time.
- Have carrots with the leafy tops still attached? Use the carrot tops in place of the parsley for a very similar taste and less food waste.
- Craving a bit of heat? Add a little diced jalapeno (or another other favorite spicy pepper) to the lemon & parsley sauce for a chimichurri-like flavor.
Spring Hummus Salad
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. While it pre-heats, prepare the veggies. Then drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Next, line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment for easy clean-up. Spread the vegetables and chickpeas over the tray in an even layer, and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and salt to coat evenly. Place the tray in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes on normal oven settings or around 20 minutes for convection ovens. Check periodically. You're looking for a nice browning and a fork-tender consistency.
While the veggies roast, make the lemon parsley sauce. Chop the parsley and dill (if using) very fine, and add it to a small bowl along with the other sauce ingredients (oil, lemon, salt, garlic, and honey). Stir well. Set aside to let the flavors meld.
Now make the hummus (skip this step if using store-bought). Add chickpeas, tahini, water, lemon, garlic, and half the salt to a blender (or food processor). Blend at low to medium speeds until smooth (5-10 minutes depending on the blender). Taste, and add more salt, garlic, or lemon if desired.
When the veggies and chickpeas are finished roasting, remove them from the oven. Then plate the salad. Start by adding a large serving of hummus (about 1/4 cup) to each plate. Use the back of a large spoon to smear the hummus over half of each plate. Sprinkle some of the roasted chickpeas over the hummus.
Next, toss the spinach with 1/3 of the lemon parsley sauce (I like to use my fingers to gently massage the dressing into the leaves for about 30 seconds). Add the spinach to half of each plate. Then top with roasted veggies and chickpeas. Garnish each salad with the remaining lemon parsley sauce. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
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Serving Size 1 salad with 1/4 cup homemade hummus
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 466
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 21g33%
- Total Carbohydrate 71g24%
- Dietary Fiber 19g76%
- Sugars 18g
- Protein 15g30%
- Vitamin A 176%
- Vitamin C 155%
- Calcium 29%
- Iron 29%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. While it pre-heats, prepare the veggies. Then drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Next, line a large rimmed baking tray with parchment for easy clean-up. Spread the vegetables and chickpeas over the tray in an even layer, and toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and salt to coat evenly. Place the tray in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes on normal oven settings or around 20 minutes for convection ovens. Check periodically. You're looking for a nice browning and a fork-tender consistency.
While the veggies roast, make the lemon parsley sauce. Chop the parsley and dill (if using) very fine, and add it to a small bowl along with the other sauce ingredients (oil, lemon, salt, garlic, and honey). Stir well. Set aside to let the flavors meld.
Now make the hummus (skip this step if using store-bought). Add chickpeas, tahini, water, lemon, garlic, and half the salt to a blender (or food processor). Blend at low to medium speeds until smooth (5-10 minutes depending on the blender). Taste, and add more salt, garlic, or lemon if desired.
When the veggies and chickpeas are finished roasting, remove them from the oven. Then plate the salad. Start by adding a large serving of hummus (about 1/4 cup) to each plate. Use the back of a large spoon to smear the hummus over half of each plate. Sprinkle some of the roasted chickpeas over the hummus.
Next, toss the spinach with 1/3 of the lemon parsley sauce (I like to use my fingers to gently massage the dressing into the leaves for about 30 seconds). Add the spinach to half of each plate. Then top with roasted veggies and chickpeas. Garnish each salad with the remaining lemon parsley sauce. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
