Chickpea Orzo Salad with Roasted Carrots & Tahini Dressing
This Chickpea Orzo Salad is fresh, vibrant, and full of texture. Roasted spiced carrots add warmth and depth, while crisp cucumbers, and arugula, keep things light and refreshing. Tossed in a creamy pomegranate-tahini dressing, it’s a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and just a little earthy. Ideal for lunches, potlucks, or a flavorful side dish, this salad is easy to prepare and can be made gluten-free or dairy-free.
PREP TIME
15 minutes
COOK TIME
20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
26
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup1 cup1 cup Orzo Pasta, or gluten-free orzo
- 15 oz15 oz15 oz Chickpeas, 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 555 Carrots, medium, peeled and sliced into thin coins or half-moons
- 1.51.51.5 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- .5 tsp.5 tsp.5 tsp Cumin, Ground
- .25 tsp.25 tsp.25 tsp Cinnamon, Ground, optional
- .25 tsp.25 tsp.25 tsp Coriander, Ground, optional
- .25 tsp.25 tsp.25 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 111 Salt and Pepper, to taste
- .5 cup.5 cup.5 cup Pomegranate, seeds
- 1 cup1 cup1 cup Arugula
- 111 Onion, green
- 444 Persian Cucumber, thinly sliced
- .25 cup.25 cup.25 cup Pistachios, Roasted, chopped
- .25 cup.25 cup.25 cup Mint Leaves, fresh chopped
- 222 Parsley, fresh chopped
- .25 cup.25 cup.25 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled, optional
Pomegranate-Tahini Dressing
- 333 Tahini
- 222 Pomegranate Molasses
- 1 Tbsp1 Tbsp1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 111 Lemon, zest from one
- 1 Tbsp1 Tbsp1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1-21-21-2 Water, to thin as needed
- 111 Salt and Pepper, to taste
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Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results
Salad
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss the sliced carrots with the olive oil, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, coriander, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the carrots out on the baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and slightly caramelized. Let cool.
- Cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the orzo, chickpeas, roasted carrots, pomemgranate seeds, herbs, pistachios, cucumber, green onion, arugula, and feta.
Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water until the dressing thins out enough to become a pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss gently to combine. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with extra mint, pomegranate or parsley.
Notes
Make-Ahead Friendly: Roast the carrots and mix the dressing up to 2 days ahead. Storage: Keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days in an airtight container. Substitutions: Swap mint for basil or cilantro, use almonds or pumpkin seeds if you don’t have pistachios.
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About This Recipe
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Coconut Free Egg Free Pescetarian Salads Shellfish Free Side Dishes Sugar Alcohol Free Vegetarian| This is our estimate based on online research. | |
| Calories: | 577 |
| Fat: | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates: | 110 g |
| Protein: | 27 g |
| Cholesterol: | 8 g |
| Sodium: | 208 mg |
| Fiber: | 15 g |
| Sugars: | 11 g |
| Sugar Alcohol: | 0 g |
| Calculated per serving. | |
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