Salmon Caesar Salad With Crispy Chickpea Croutons
This easy salmon Caesar salad has pan-seared salmon, crisp lettuce, crunchy chickpea croutons, and a creamy homemade dressing. This Caesar salad recipe is dairy free and gluten free.
Ingredients
Chickpea Croutons
- 15 ounce can garbanzo beans/chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt if using any other kind, reduce to ¼ teaspoon
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.25 pounds salmon skin removed and cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- juice of half of a small lemon about 1 tablespoon
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce about 2 romaine hearts
- dairy free caesar dressing to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. Drain the canned garbanzo beans/chickpeas and rinse under cold water.
- Thoroughly dry the chickpeas with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. Pat the chickpeas dry by gently rubbing the towel back and forth. Remove as much moisture as you can, discarding any skins that fall off or are loose.
- Transfer the chickpeas onto a rimmed baking sheet (no parchment paper needed). Toss them with the olive oil and seasonings until well-coated then spread them out into a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes, shake the pan, and rotate it, then bake for another 20 minutes. Do a crunch taste test and add an additional 3-5 minutes if needed. They'll continue to crisp up as they cool.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. While the skillet heats up, toss the cubed salmon with lemon juice, a pinch of kosher salt, and a couple of cracks of freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the salmon to the hot skillet and arrange them in a single layer. Cook on one side for 4 minutes, flip over, and cook another 2-3 minutes, depending on your personal preference of doneness.
- Assemble the salad by tossing the chopped lettuce with a few tablespoons of the dressing followed by the salmon and crispy chickpea croutons. Drizzle more dressing over the top as desired.
Notes
See the blog post for helpful tips and storage.