Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad with Pesto
Updated March 26, 2019
Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad with Pesto-this simple salad is made with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, red onion, basil, feta cheese, and pesto. It is full of flavor and great served as a main dish or side dish.
Are you in a summer salad rut? I eat salad just about every day during the hot summer months, but sometimes I start feeling like I’m in the movie Groundhog Day because I tend to make the same salad over and over. I don’t know why because I like lots of different salad recipes, I guess I just get in the habit of making the same old salad.
Well, last week I was in need of a new salad so I made this Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad with Pesto. It brought me out of my salad rut after one bite. I instantly fell in love with this salad.
Our boys love pesto so I try to keep my easy Spinach Basil Pesto in the freezer at all times. It is easy to pull out to add to pasta, gnocchi, pizza, sandwiches, or salads. Luckily, I had some pesto in the freezer so I pulled out a container and used it in my salad. It was the perfect flavor boost to the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas. I also added in some diced red onion, fresh basil, and feta cheese.
I like to serve this salad on a bed of arugula or mixed greens. It is good on it’s own, but I like to add more greens into our diets any way I can. Bring on the greens!
Get out of your salad rut and make this Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad with Pesto. The only problem, you will probably want to make this salad every day. I know I could eat it every day, I have been. I will change to a different salad soon. I promise.
Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad with Pesto
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes washed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 3 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Arugula or mixed salad greens for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until well coated. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Roast sweet potatoes for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven.
- In a large bowl, combine roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, pesto, red onion, basil, and feta cheese. Gently stir until well combined. Try not to break up the sweet potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Place arugula or salad greens on a plate. Top with sweet potato, chickpea, and pesto salad. Serve immediately.
- Note-this salad is good at room temperature or cold. You don't have to serve it on a bed of greens, but I like to.
Have you tried this recipe?
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I loooove chickpeas in a salad, and I’m trying to find new ways to eat sweet potato… So I’m going to have to pin this recipe! And yay for pesto, it goes with almost anything. Have a great day!
Thanks for pinning!
This looks so good. I love chickpeas an insane amount and them with pesto sounds like a perfect combination.
Can’t wait to try it!
What a tasty salad!
I need to make this soon!
I can’t wait to try this pretty salad! Protein packed!
All my favorite things, but I’ve never thought to toss them all together in a salad before! Can’t wait to try it 🙂
hey girl this looks pretty good! Very creative! I love different kinds of salads to!
Cannot find sweet potatoes here that I would buy. Not too long and they will be in season
This salad looks incredible! I need it in my life!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I never thought about including sweet potatoes in a salad before. It sound like a very nutritious salad.
What a yummy salad!!
I am just getting into sweet potatoes now, I know so late LOL But I love chickpeas and pesto so I have to try this salad asap! Love the look of it.
These flavors are so great!!
this is really clever, I’ve been looking for more sweet potato uses, thanks for this?
Can this be made in advance and reheated?
This is my new favorite meatless Monday meal! Thank you!
Love chickpeas and sweet potats. What a lovely recipe!
Just made this last night, and it was delicious! Love the marriage of pesto, chickpeas, and sweet potatoes, and the red onion really added good flavor! Was a good accompaniment to pork.
Love love love this salad. My family likes it so much that I have to double the recipe so we have enough for lunch the next day. Added some shredded chicken to make it a heartier meal. Ran out of feta so substituted crumbled goat cheese. DEEEELISH!
I liked the sweet potato – chickpea – feta combination, but this came out a bit dry and not as flavorful as I expected. I realized partway through making it that it has no dressing! I ended up adding 1/2 squeezed lemon and more feta to brighten up the flavors a bit. Instead of the pesto sauce, I would have preferred a more conventional dressing plus extra fresh basil.
Made this last night and it came out super yummy! With mixed greens, it was so healthy and refreshing. I wanted a bit more flavor so I seasoned my sweet potatoes with paprika & garlic powder before roasting, and I also made a quick lemon basil vinaigrette to tie everything together. Thanks for helping me eat more vegetarian!
I made this after reading other comments, and added a very light lemon vinaigrette to the salad. Very tasty and easy! By the way, I used homemade kale pesto, which made it that much healthier!
This looks like it will be a staple for me. You had me a sweet potato! How long does it last and how many does it serve. I apologize if you mentioned that somewhere already. Thank you.