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–+ servings
chopped romaine salad topped with chickpeas, cashews, and red bell pepper.
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5 from 1 vote

Simple Healthy Mexican Salad (Vegan Friendly)

Healthy Mexican salad complete with Trader Joe's spicy cashew dressing - the perfect vegan lunch, dinner, or side dish!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 403kcal
Author: Jessica Mode

Ingredients

For the Crispy Chickpeas

For the Salad

  • ½ cup salted cashews
  • 3 heads romaine lettuce washed and roughly chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper julienned
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and grated
  • 2 avocados cubed
  • 4 green onions thinly sliced on the bias
  • Trader Joe's Spicy Cashew Dressing

Instructions

For the Crispy Chickpeas

  • Heat oven to 400°F.
  • Pour the rinsed garbanzo beans on a clean kitchen towel. Pat completely dry. During this process, many of the outer skins will fall off. Discard the outer skins.
  • Transfer garbanzo beans to a medium bowl. Add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss garbanzo beans until completely coated. Add in all spices, and toss again until completely coated.
  • Transfer garbanzo beans to a metal sheet pan. Cook for 30 minutes on the middle oven rack, or until the garbanzo beans are golden brown and have slightly shrunk down in size. Halfway through the cooking process, move the garbanzo beans around so they get crispy on all sides. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

For the Salad

  • To toast the cashews, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add in the cashews in a single layer to the dry skillet. Once you smell the nuts toasting, shake nuts around to toast on all sides. Continue this process until the nuts are golden brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes total.
  • To a large serving bowl, add in the romaine lettuce, bell peppers, carrots, avocado, and green onions. Sprinkle toasted cashews on top. Serve immediately with salad dressing on the side.

Notes

The undressed salad will last 3-5 days. However, avocados will begin to brown and chickpeas will become less crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 1978mg | Fiber: 19g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 47588IU | Vitamin C: 71mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 7mg