When it's good, it's really really good
There's nothing like a great Caesar Salad, but I find they can often be hit-or-miss when dining out - even at some of the great steak houses. So often, what ends up being served is a pile of greens with a drizzle of weak bottled sauce, a smattering of something resembling parmesan, stale powdery croutons, and maybe a wedge of lemon (if you're lucky). It's enough to turn you off of the idea of ordering a Caesar Salad when dining out.
This Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas, Jammy Eggs, and Avocado is the perfect upgraded version of the classic steakhouse salad. The spicy roasted chickpeas on this beauty make a deliciously fiery swap for croutons, perfectly jammy eggs and fresh avocado temper the heat, and this easy Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing adds umami, citrus, and creaminess to round everything out. It's safe to say that this Caesar Salad will beat anything you find on a restaurant menu.
Spicy, crunchy morsels > stale croutons
If your croutons come in a resealable pouch complete with vague powdered Italian seasonings, you're doing your salad a disservice. I prefer to roast a can of chickpeas coated in a simple and spicy seasoning blend, a bit of oil, and a sprinkle of good coarse sea salt while I prep the rest of my salad ingredients. The oven turns the chickpeas into crunchy little morsels that provide the perfect swap for that bag of old, stale croutons (that should be left in 1997).
The seasoning blend I use is a simple mix of cayenne + paprika + garlic oil + sea salt and they are definitely spicy. If you prefer yours on the milder side, you can decrease the amount of cayenne used by ¼ teaspoon and still end up with a nice hint of heat that will compliment the salad.
The key to a perfectly jammy egg
I prefer to use a properly jammy egg in this salad, meaning the egg whites are cooked through and the yolk is only just starting to cook around the edges, leaving the golden center saucy, shiny, and perfectly jammy.
In order to accomplish this, bring your pot of water to boil over medium-high heat first before ever adding the eggs. Once the water reaches boil, gently lower your eggs into the water and cook for 6 ½ to 7 minutes (set that timer!), adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil if necessary. Once the timer goes off, immediately place the eggs into an ice bath to chill for 2 minutes. Crack, peel, and enjoy the jammiest eggs!
If you prefer your yolk cooked all the way through, this salad is still great with wedges of traditional hardboiled eggs.
The namesake dressing
Homemade dressings should be simple, easy, and better than anything you can find bottled on the store shelf - and this Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing is no exception! It comes together in 5 minutes or less and is the key to transforming your salad greens into a scrumptious Caesar Salad.
What to serve with this Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
This Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas is perfectly hearty on it's own, but if you wanted to add some extra protein this salad pairs really well with grilled chicken, steak, salmon, or even shrimp!
A note for special diets
This Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas is grain-free and gluten-free. For those following a low-carb or Keto diet, I estimate that this salad clocks in at 12 net carbs per serving if prepared as directed.
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Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas, Jammy Eggs, and Avocado
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 47 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 12 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salads & Dressings
- Method: Oven / Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian/Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas, Jammy Eggs, and Avocado is the perfect upgraded version of the classic steakhouse salad.
Ingredients
For the spicy roasted chickpeas:
- 1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp garlic oil (may sub 1 tbsp avocado or olive oil + ½ tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (may omit ¼ tsp if you want it to be a bit milder)
- ½ tsp paprika
For the jammy eggs:
- 6 large eggs
- prepared ice bath
For the salad:
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce (about 12 cups), chopped
- 2 large avocados (about 2 cups), peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese, shaved
- cracked black pepper, to season
- wedges of lemon (optional)
The recipe for Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing can be found here. I use approximately 1 tablespoon per cup of lettuce when I assemble the salad.
Instructions
For the spicy roasted chickpeas:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (232 C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set to the side.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander, then pat dry with a paper towel. You want to make sure that you've removed any excess moisture that will prevent them from crisping up well. You can discard the excess pieces of skin that pop off, but it's not necessary to pull them all out, it just means more lovely crispy pieces in the finished product.
- In a prep bowl, toss the chickpeas with the garlic oil, sea salt, cayenne, and paprika until evenly covered
- Transfer the coated chickpeas to the parchment lined baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through until crisp and golden.
For the jammy eggs:
- Prepare an ice bath and set it to the side. You'll want it available immediately after removing the eggs from heat.
- Bring a pot of water to boil over medium-high heat. Once the water reaches boil, gently lower your eggs into the water.
- Cook for 6 ½ to 7 minutes (set a timer!), adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle boil if necessary.
- Once the timer goes off, immediately place the eggs into an ice bath to chill for 2 minutes.
- Crack, peel, slice, and enjoy!
For the salad:
- I like to assemble my salad by tossing the greens in a small amount of the Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing first to coat the greens lightly, then adding the rest of the ingredients. Once the chickpeas, jammy eggs, sliced avocado, and parmesan had been added, I drizzle a tiny amount more of the dressing on top, then add a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Overall, I estimate that I use 1 tablespoon of dressing per cup of salad greens.
- Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of salad
- Calories: 421
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1057 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 216 mg
Keywords: caesar salad, chickpeas, jammy eggs, avocado, salad
I cannot stop staring at those jammy eggs. Gorgeous. They're my absolute favorite, and paired with spicy chickpeas and avocado in a Caesar salad? Positively drool-worthy. I love that this salad is made with ingredients I pretty much always have on hand. We'll be saying HELLO to this come lunchtime today!
★★★★★
I love the idea to use those tasty roasted spicy chickpeas in place of croutons! My kind of salad 🙂
★★★★★
I love this version of caesar salad, especially those chickpeas for crunch !
★★★★★
You had me at "jammy eggs" but really this whole thing looks fantastic. All the textures and flavors make this so crave-worthy.
★★★★★
Wow, your version of Caesar looks SO much better than the original! Those jammy eggs are calling my name.
★★★★★
This Caesar salad looks next level delicious! We make a Caesar almost every week of the year so I can't wait to try this one out!
★★★★★
What a beautiful salad! Love the crispy lettuce with the creamy avocado and egg and chickpeas for protein, it's a complete meal!
★★★★★
I don't think there's anything better than jammy eggs! Love them in East/Southeast Asian soups and in bountiful salads like this. I also have mad love for roasted chickpeas (my air fryer crisps them up the perfect amount). I can't wait to try this. This is such a fantastic way to amp up Caesar salad as we know it.
★★★★★
Crispy chickpeas are definitely better than croutons! This is like a dream salad for me. The jammy eggs, the dressing... I'm totally making this!
★★★★★
So true - there is hardly another salad that is as good and classy as Caesar Salad. Really like how yours looks - all those colors are unbelievable!
★★★★★
Love jammy eggs and they'd be absolutely perfect on a Caesar! What a perfect summer lunch idea! Cant wait to make it :).
I love everything about this version of Caesar salad. Using roasted chickpeas instead of croutons is such a brilliant idea. The egg and avocado are fab additions too! Can't wait to make this! Pinning for later!
★★★★★
Out of this world flavor! This salad will be going down again this week. I love the flavor the chickpeas bring out with the spicy flavor.
★★★★★
Absolutely agree with you! If I order Caesar salad when I am out, I am almost always sure it will lack seasoning, a special touch or even a basic ingredient! So it is better to make this salad at home and enjoy it to the fullest!
★★★★★
Those crunchy chickpeas are a great swap for the croutons. Not just tastier, but more healthful as well. YAY. I also like the addition of avocado...so creamy plus those healthy fats. For sure a great update to a classic recipe.
★★★★★
I recently discovered how delicious roasted chick peas are and I cannot wait to make this salad!! Those jammy eggs are #goals. Love the yogurt dressing for a lighter option.
★★★★★
That is a beautiful salad combo! Love this spiced roasted chickpeas!!