Some salads are light and leave you still hungry, and some salads, like this BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad, are the complete opposite. Hearty, filling, delicious, and not even close to being just another boring salad, this one is a meal all on its own. Move over side salad; there’s no room for you at this table!

When I eat a salad, I want a salad! None of this side order stuff. There’s a time and place for a simple bowl of greens with balsamic vinaigrette. But, whenever I crave a salad, I want it to be substantial, just like my BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad!
I’m a full grown man, damn it! If I’m going to eat a bowl full of raw, chopped vegetables, it had better sustain me for the next five to six hours. Otherwise, I’ll be raiding the fridge in no time at all.

THE DEVIL SCALE IS TO BLAME!
Salads are great; I’m not arguing differently. But, it seems to me that when one thinks about a salad, they think of mixed greens topped with a few tomatoes, onions, maybe cucumbers, etc. When I think of salad, I think of a complete and wholesome meal which tastes so fantastic that I don’t miss the absence of meat or bread. That, to me, constitutes a real salad!
This salad came about after I stepped on the scale on Monday morning. As a result of the number staring back up at me from that devilish bathroom scale, I promised myself that I would eat salad for dinner every night this week. But, the salad had to be good and filling. And that is just what the BBQ chickpeas in this salad did!
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with getting weighed. Actually, the hate far outweighs the love! I’ve always been a big guy, even when I was little. Sometimes, you just need to accept the life you have! This salad allows me to live a little while eating food that is healthy. It’s a give and take that goes like this: I’ll eat salad, but give me some ranch dressing. Fair enough, right?

PREPPING SALAD IS PURE TORTURE
You all know how much I love to cook and bake. And, I do feel calm and serene when I’m chopping vegetables. I’m that one person who will shred cabbage with a knife rather than use a food processor. But, when the need arises to wash and prep more than five or six vegetables, it tends to lose it’s appeal. Of course, this is significantly more true on a weeknight!
If you want to take some shortcuts and purchase pre-washed and pre-cut vegetables, nobody will blame you. Of the ingredients listed in the card below, there are a few that you can buy ready to eat. I’m no stranger to buying pre-chopped romaine lettuce on my way home from work. And, I have most certainly picked up a bag or two of shredded cheese in my time.

PREPPING ROMAINE LETTUCE
One of the things that I like to do is to prep things on the weekends that we can use throughout the week. We don’t do it as much now that we’re working from home. But, previously, we would prep things like rice, quinoa, beans, etc. If I were making salad on Monday night, I would wash and cut extra lettuce for another meal later in the week.
Here’s a tip that will keep harder lettuces, like romaine, crisp and fresh. Chop the lettuce and wash it well. Use a salad spinner to spin the leaves dry. Transfer to a freezer bag. Run your fingers along the seal, leaving just about an inch or so unsealed. Push as much air out of the bag as possible, and then close the seal. Store the bag of lettuce in your crisper.
Romaine lettuce, especially, will stay fresh and crisp for 5-7 days. I do it all the time! We purchase romaine hearts 99% of the time. I prep all three and store them this way until I feel like a BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad. Chopped romaine is oftentimes added to mixed greens in our salads. The crunch and texture of romaine is one of my favourite things about eating a salad.

BBQ THE CHICKPEAS IN ADVANCE
Since you need to add the BBQ chickpeas to the salad cold, you might want to prep them in advance to save time later. Here’s how I do it. To make the BBQ chickpeas, begin by sautéing the finely chopped onion in a sauté pan with a little olive oil. Once the onions are cooked, add the canned chickpeas which have been drained and rinsed.

Toss with the onions and sauté for another two to three minutes. Next, add in the BBQ spice seasoning and stir into the chickpeas until they are well coated. Turn off the heat and allow the chickpeas to cool down in the pan. If you want to speed up the cooling process, transfer the chickpeas to a dinner plate. Spread them out and they will cool quickly.
Once cooled, you can go ahead and add them to your salad. If you’re prepping the chickpeas ahead of time, place them in a food-safe container. Put a lid on it and store them in the fridge for up to five days. Speaking of chickpeas, my friend, Gloria, has a Chickpea Apple Salad on her blog, Yummy & Homemade. It’s absolutely delicious!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Once your lettuce and chickpeas are ready, next comes the task of washing and chopping all of the veggies. Those veggies include endive, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, avocados, and green onions. Depending on how many people you need to feed, you can adjust the amounts accordingly. You can also leave out the veggies you don’t like and substitute for those that you do. As listed below, the salad will feed 4 people as a main.
I like to layer the bowl so that the salad is presented in a pretty way. First, dump in a nice layer of lettuce. Then, working in rows, add the prepped veggies one at a time. Be careful not to mix them up at this point. Once all of the veggies are in the bowl, drizzle over a little bit of the dressing and top with some fresh parsley. Even a salad needs some type of garnish!
Be sure to bring more dressing to the table so that everyone can add more. Once you bring the BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad to the table, toss all of the ingredients together so that everyone gets a little bit of everything. I like to prepare extra chickpeas sometimes too. A spoonful or two on the side is a great way to get more protein into your salad.

TIPS AND TRICKS
If you’re looking to add meat to your salad instead of chickpeas, BBQ chicken would be a great option. Also, I do like to buy a rotisserie chicken and just cube up the breast meat and add it to the salad.
I have a great recipe for a Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing that we love, so I whip that up as often as possible. Previously, I did say that shortcuts were good, so store-bought is just fine.
If you’re looking to add in more veggies, try adding corn or black beans to give this salad a more summery/Mexican vibe. You can add cheese too! Sometimes, I like to add lots of fresh, chopped dill, and even chopped hard boiled eggs.
Lastly, I like to serve this salad with some lime wedges. A spritz of fresh lime is wonderful on this salad, but it’s completely optional. So many options, Dear Reader. Enjoy!


BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 28 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (two cans)
- 2 tablespoons barbecue seasoning
- 3 heads romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 large red endive or radicchio, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 large cucumber, chopped
- 2 large avocados, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the BBQ chickpeas, begin by sautéing the onion in a pan with the olive oil. Once the onions are cooked, add the canned chickpeas which have been drained and rinsed.
- Toss with the onions and sauté for another two to three minutes. Next, add the BBQ seasoning and toss to mix through. Turn off the heat and allow the chickpeas to cool completely.
- Prepare all of the veggies as indicated in the ingredient list. When you finish dicing the avocados, toss gently in the lemon juice to prevent any discolouring.
- To assemble the salad, first, dump in a nice layer of romaine lettuce into a large, shallow bowl. Then, working in rows, add the prepped veggies one at a time. Be careful not to mix them up at this point. Once all of the veggies are in the bowl, drizzle over a little bit of the dressing and top with some fresh parsley. Even a salad needs some type of garnish!
- Bring to the table along with more ranch dressing and any extra chickpeas. Toss and serve.
Nutrition

vegetarianmamma says
Bryon, this sounds amazing! I need to make this asap, I love the idea of BBQ chickpeas! Yummed for later!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It was delicious, even if I do say so! 🙂
olivia giovanni says
Oh Byron! You kill me with your vegetarian recipes! This salad looks awesome!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hahaha… thanks Olivia!
Priya Shiva says
I love chickpeas! tempting salad!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Priya, it was so delicious. Truth be told, I could have eaten just the chickpeas. 🙂
Tracy @ Served From Scratch says
The colors! Gorgeous. I love new ways to use chickpeas! Pinning this for later!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Tracy!
Mel @ avirtualvegan.com says
A great salad! Love the look of the chickpeas. I agree about the salad having to be filling. I tend to take salads to work with me for lunch and the last thing I want is to be hungry an hour after eating it!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I’m glad we’re both on the same page, Mel. 🙂
sarah says
I agree – if I’m going to eat a salad it had better be good. Few things offend me more than sad, wilted bagged salad without anything in it. I love the idea of using bbq flavored chickpeas in this – this is happening soon
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Let it happen, Sarah! 🙂 It’s really, really good!
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
Love how you describe salads! 🙂 While I still love my garden salads, I still want a big bowl of it! This is the kind of salad my husband and I would absolutely love 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks! My husband loved it too!
itsswayam says
I think like you when it comes to salads… and need I say I love all thats going on here? Fabulous .. . gotta make this soon, right after i eat my cake 😛
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Of course! Cake ALWAYS comes first! 😉
strawberryblondiekitchen says
This salad looks delicious! I love the BBQ chickpeas! I’m also a sucker for buffalo so I think a buffalo ranch chickpea salad would be awesome too!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes! Buffalo Ranch would be awesome!
Michelle@healthiersteps says
I love chickpeas and I can’t wait to try your salad!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Michelle!
immaculatebites says
Byron, you’ve got me drooling this morning over a salad. Me Like!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hahaha… I’m sorry???
Jen says
What a beautiful bright salad – looks fantastic and filling. Thanks for sharing!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Jen!
Marissa @ OMG FOOD says
This salad looks so epic and I want it in my mouth. I’m with you on wanting something that will actually sustain you for a while. I’m adding this to my list of meals to make next week!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Please come back and let me know what you think, Marissa! Cheers!
oliviascuisine says
Wow! The BBQ chickpeas would definitely making me a salad-holic right now! They also usually fill me up, so I would totally have this salad for dinner! Yum!
Prash @ YummilyYours says
This is making me super hungry! Delish!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
Making BBQ chickpeas is such a cool idea! Looks delicious, too.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
It’s opened up a whole new world of chickpea-ness for me, Becky. 🙂
The Chunky Chef says
Oooooh what a delicious looking salad!! I’m a huge fan of chickpeas and can’t wait to try this 😀
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
You had me at bbq chickpeas!!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
That was easy! Hahaha!
Deepika says
Byron, this salad looks so tempting. Now this is going to make me want salad, in the middle of the night. Loved the pictures too.
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
This looks like my kind of salad. This would definitely fill me and I would love it.
Framed Recipes says
Devil’s scale – that’s a good one.:) Loved the way you described what you want in your salad. Perfect. And this one sounds perfectly balanced.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hahaha! Thanks. P.S. I really do own the devil’s scale; I swear! It’s just plain evil!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Wow, forget 5 a day – this is more like 15 a day! Enough veggies for 3 days! You’ve got some great flavours in here, too. Love nutty chickpeas!
meaghanlamm says
I tried chickpeas for the first time on a salad last year and I am hooked! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Debra @ Worth Cooking says
Now THAT’S a salad. I love the idea of guacamole + ranch dressing.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I know! Me too! It was such a tasty combination.
Healing Tomato says
I love seeing Chick pea recipes. They are my go-to protein meal. This is a great recipe.
Insanely Roy says
chickpeas are used quite commonly used it salads in India.
although i dont have a few ingredients you mentioned..i like ur idea of wholesome salad meals.
http://pieceofcerebrum.wordpress.com
Jenn S. says
Wow, this looks incredible!! Totally my kind of salad! While I do enjoy a nice side salad from time to time, like you I definitely prefer my salad to be the main attraction and be loaded up with tons of goodness. And I’m thinking my dairy free Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing would be phenomenal on this!!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks for dropping by, Jenn! Creamy Cumin Ranch Dressing… YUM! Would certainly work with this salad recipe!
pragati says
I know what you mean about SALAD! this one looks so filling and sumptuous..and BBQ sauce on chickpeas…that is a great way for vegetarians to enjoy it.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you! Since I’ve discovered BBQ’d Chickpeas, I’m always on the prowl for new things to do with them. 🙂
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
Your salad game is on point!! This looks so wonderful. BBQ chickpeas are now on my mind, yum.
Italia Caruso says
it looks very delicious!
Sophia @veggies dont bite says
I’m TOTALLY with you on the salad thing. I mean can you even call a handful of greens with a drizzle of dressing a salad?! And who can sustain life on that. Not this girl, that’s for sure. But this, this looks insane…Well done on the true salad! Oh and OCD is my best friend too.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Sophia. OCD-ers unite! 🙂
curlsnchard says
I’m a big fan of filling salads too! If I want to eat a salad as a meal, it needs to make me full for longer. That’s why I often struggle with store bought salads around here at lunch time…This salad sounds great though! I would switch out the ranch for a vinaigrette as I’m not a ranch fan, but hey, nothing easier than that 😉
byronethomas@gmail.com says
That’s the thing about salads – totally customizable!
The vegan 8 says
This looks amazing and I love all types of salads, but my favorite is my barbecue potato salad! Not really a traditional type but I love barbecue sauce like it’s my best friend and I love this, looks so perfect! Feed me!
Howie Fox says
Simmer the chickpeas in bbq sauce?? What a brilliant idea! Definitely my kind of salad, Byron! I need to try that out, thanks!
My Wife Makes (@MyWifeMakes) says
CHICKPEAS ARE THE WAY TO MY HEART!!!! Amazing stuff Byron. Love the BBQ flavors!