Rainbow Power Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Color! Texture! Beautiful food in a bowl! That’s this Rainbow Power Salad.

There’s so much good going on here, guys. The carrots and zucchini get all ribboned up into shreds, and the chickpeas get roasted with a little spice, and just like that, the 5 minute Magic Green Sauce finds its place in the world. Well, or just one of its many places in the world because we already talked about how that sauce is a match for just about everything ever ever ever.

Also – I just need to say that I love naming recipes with words like “Rainbow” and “Power.” Like, how much more enjoyable is a pile of raw vegetables when they’re giving you a massive dose of Rainbow Power? I can’t even handle the good feelings I get from sitting down with this salad in front of me and thinking, Here I go again, getting my Rainbow Power on for the day! There’s a good chance I’m the only one who likes this sort of obscure, overly emotional naming, and also a good chance that I’m actually a unicorn.

Surprise!

Rainbow power for lyfe.

HOW TO MAKE OUR RAINBOW POWER SALAD (45 SEC):

Zucchini, carrots, and basil in a mixing bowl.

It only made sense to name this Rainbow Power Salad, because this bowl-o-goodness is just that: a rainbow of veggies that gives you all the nutritious power of zucchini and carrots and fresh herbs and greens, tossed with a handful of crispy, spiced, roasted chickpeas and the ultimate flavor bomb of 2015 aka Magic Green Sauce.

Right now, late April, pre-summer is definitely the time for me to be eating a Rainbow Power Salad for lunch because confession –> I could use the healthy vegetable glow in my life to spruce up the summertime look, and sometimes I “eat healthy” while forgetting to eat vegetables.

Woops?

I don’t want to assume you guys are as vegetable-forgetful as me, but I’d feel sort of better if you were. Hallooh? Fellow forgetters of vegetables? Are you out there?

There are plenty of times when I will get to the end of the day feeling really good about everything I ate, and I’ll pause for a moment to count my vegetables for the day annnnnd, wait, did I even eat any today? Ehhrr, no, wait, can I count the ultimate chocolate granola?

Come ONNN.

Rainbow Power Salad with Roasted Chickpeas in a white bowl with a fork.

This salad is packed with raw vegetable power that will bring on the healthy glow, inside and out. Whenever I eat this salad I feel like I should be getting two gold medal emojis – one for the enjoyment of such a seriously delicious salad, and one for all the rainbow power I just put into my unicorn body.

And knowing that summer is coming? That makes this salad my friend in a very big way.

More veggies! More summer produce! More reason to visit the farmers market!

More glow for the skin! More nutrient power! More Magic Green Sauce!

AND MORE UNICORN VIBES.

Just… I don’t even know sometimes.

Rainbow Power Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

4.7 from 23 reviews

Author: Pinch of Yum
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 2-4 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Rainbow Power Salad with Roasted Chickpeas – SO FRESH and SO GOOD! Zucchini, carrots, fresh basil, crispy spiced chickpeas. Vegan.

Ingredients

Scale

5 Minute Magic Green Sauce for dressing
3 large tri-color carrots (I used one orange, one red, and one yellow)
1 medium zucchini
1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into ribbons
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
generous sprinkling of salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels and toss with the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan every once in a while to prevent over browning. The chickpeas are done when they are crispy and golden brown.
Shred the vegetables into very thin ribbons or slices using a grater, peeler, mandoline, or spiralizer. It’s sort of up to you how you want the shape of the vegetables to be. After shreddng, press the zucchini lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Toss the vegetables with the basil and set aside.
Toss the vegetables with a scoop of Magic Green Sauce – start out with about 1/2 cup and add more if needed. Add the roasted chickpeas and toss gently to combine. Arrange the salad into bowls and serve immediately.