This Beetroot Chickpea Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing is the perfect earthy, sweet salad that is delicious as a main dish or as a side!

If I’m going to take the time and effort to cook beets, it better be worth it. And let me assure you, this salad is definitely worth it.
Now, as a Dietitian I’m all about making sure meals and snacks are balanced with protein, fiber, fat and veggies, so let’s discuss this recipe!
Protein? Yup, from the chickpeas! Fiber? Again, chickpeas and beets! Healthy fats from the Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing, check! And lots of veggies, obviously.
And while this salad takes a little longer to make than my typical recipes because we have to roast the beets, I love that we can prepare the other aspects of the salad while that’s happening. And honestly, the other parts of this recipe are so easy to make that it’ll probably only take you like, 15 minutes, which means you can chill on the couch and watch your favorite show while the beets finish roasting! Or at least that’s what I’ve been doing.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Roasted Beets: The most time consuming part of the process, but the result is sweet, slightly earthy beets that add such a delicious flavor to the salad. Fun fact, beets are also high in fiber, which helps us to stay feeling fuller for longer.
If you don’t want to take the time or effort to roast the beets, you can find pre-cooked beets in the salad aisle of most grocery stores!
Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing: One of my absolute favorite salad dressings since it takes 5 minutes to make and uses simple ingredients that you probably have on hand. The sweetness of the maple pairs perfectly with the bitterness of the arugula and earthiness of the beets. But, if you’re looking for a store-bought dressing, most balsamic salad dressings will work well!
Canned Chickpeas: To keep things super simple and add some protein and fiber! Make sure when you’re using canned chickpeas that you drain and rinse them really well before using to get rid of the goopy water (also known as aquafaba).
Of course, if you’d rather cook chickpeas from scratch, you totally can!
Arugula: For a delicious, peppery flavor! If you’re not a huge fan of arugula, field greens or spinach would also work well here.
Red onion: For a little extra zing! If red onions have too strong of a taste for you on their own, may I suggest you make one of the most popular recipes on my blog, my quick pickled red onions?.
Walnuts: For tons of healthy fats and omega-3! They also add such a delicious crunch to this salad. But don’t worry, if you don’t have them on hand or aren’t a huge fan, any nut or seed will do!
On a salad kick? Try my Apple Radicchio Salad with Rosemary Thyme Tofu or Sesame Lime Cabbage Salad!
What to eat this salad with
This beet salad is delicious on its own, or paired with pretty much anything else! Try it with:
- Your favorite sandwich
- A delicious soup
- Hummus or avocado toast
How to make this Beetroot Chickpea Salad
- Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the beets and poke a few holes in them with a fork, then wrap them individually in tinfoil.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, until you can easily pierce through them with a fork.
- While the beets are cooking, prepare the Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing.
- Once the beets have cooked,
- Assemble the salad by putting down the bed of arugula, adding the drained and rinsed chickpeas, sliced beets, cucumbers, red onion, fresh parsley, walnuts and nutritional yeast. Add the balsamic salad dressing a few tablespoons at a time until it’s dressed to your liking- You may have leftovers. Mix well and enjoy!
Storing leftovers
I recommend eating this salad day-of for optimal freshness, since we add the dressing to the entire batch of salad. With that being said, you can portion off half the salad without the dressing to reserve for later and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days!
More Chickpea Recipes
30-Minute Spiced Chickpea Stew (High Protein Meal!)
Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe with Crispy Chickpeas
Connect with Lauren!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you try it, let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a review in the comments below. You can also find 60 other delicious, easy plant-based recipes in my cookbook, The Simple Vegan Kitchen!
Also, be sure to take a photo and tag me at @tastingtothrive_rd so I can re-share on my stories! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest so you never miss a new recipe or nutrition post.
Easy Beetroot Chickpea Salad (with Canned Chickpeas!)
Ingredients
- 1 batch of the Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 4 medium beets with the greens removed
- 540 g canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup of walnut halves
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1/2 cucumber diced
- 142 g arugula
- 1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste I used about 1/2 tsp of flakey sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the beets and poke a few holes in them with a fork, then wrap them individually in tinfoil.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, until you can easily pierce through them with a fork.While the beets are cooking, prepare the Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing.
- Once the beets have cooked, assemble the salad by putting down the bed of arugula, adding the drained and rinsed chickpeas, sliced beets, cucumbers, red onion, fresh parsley, walnuts and nutritional yeast.
- Add the balsamic salad dressing a few tablespoons at a time until it's dressed to your liking- You may have leftovers. Mix well and enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Make sure to leave a review, take a photo and tag me on Instagram at @tastingtothrive_rd so I can see!
Tried this, but used a white vinaigrette instead as I don’t prefer sweet dressings. It was delicious! I’m not plant-based but I LOVE all these recipes to help me eat more plants.
Hi Nisreen, I’m so happy you enjoyed it and the other recipes on my blog!
I’m looking at trying this ! Is it a low fat version.?
Hi Henrietta! It depends on what you consider low fat. There is fat in the walnuts and in the dressing, but you can reduce the amount of both of these if you’d like it to be lower fat!