Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Taco Salad
Warm sweet potatoes and chickpeas make a generous salad, especially against cool lettuce and a little tortilla-chip crunch. The creamy jalapeño dressing brings the bowl together. Toss it just before eating and enjoy the soft roasted pieces tucked through the greens and crisp topping.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course · Sides
- Primary protein
- Beans & lentils
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dietary characteristics
- Gluten free · Vegan
- Dish type
- Salads · Tacos
A few quick notes
1. Turn the roasting mixture
Toss the sweet potatoes and chickpeas halfway through roasting, then check the sweet potatoes with a fork for tenderness.
2. Massage the kale
Work a little oil through the chopped kale before adding Romaine, helping the tougher leaves soften for the salad.
3. Reserve some roasted topping
Set aside a quarter of the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas before tossing the rest with greens and dressing.
Get to know the ingredients
Half-inch sweet potatoes
Cut the sweet potatoes into the listed half-inch cubes before tossing with chickpeas, oil and spices for roasting.
Drained chickpeas
Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before spreading them with the sweet potatoes, ready to take on the seasoned oil.
Tortilla-chip pieces
Break the tortilla chips into bite-size pieces for the top. Corn, grain-free or homemade tortilla strips are allowed options.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Vegan Sweet Potato Chickpea Taco Salad
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Build the crisp top
Top the dressed greens with the reserved roasted mixture, crushed chips and optional avocado, then enjoy the salad immediately if possible.
A little more help as you go
Dressing during roasting
Make the cashew dressing while the sweet potatoes roast, so it is ready for tossing once they become tender.
Taste before plating
Taste the tossed salad and add more dressing if needed before transferring it to the serving dish and adding toppings.
A few questions you might have
Does the Romaine need massaging too?
Only the kale is massaged with oil. Add the chopped Romaine afterward and toss the two greens together.
Are the roasted vegetables mixed in or left on top?
Most are tossed through the greens with dressing. The reserved quarter becomes a topping over the plated salad.
Is avocado required?
The sliced avocado is optional. Add it as a garnish with the tortilla-chip pieces over the finished salad if using.
Can I keep leftover salad?
It is best enjoyed immediately, but the final step allows keeping it in the refrigerator for one to two days.
Which dressing does the recipe use?
It uses the prepared Cheesy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing named in the ingredients, tossed through the greens and roasted mixture.
Any more cooking tips?
The prep time assumes doing most of the rinsing + chopping while your sweet potatoes and chickpeas are baking. *You can use any tortilla chips/strips you prefer in this recipe — corn, grain-free, or homemade spiced tortilla strips. We photographed this recipe with homemade but also love store-bought plain corn tortilla chips for ease! *Loosely adapted from and inspired by our Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, BBQ Sweet Potato Chickpea Tacos, and NYT Cooking Vegan Caesar Salad with Crisp Chickpeas. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 3/4 cup dressing and without optional avocado.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: minimalistbaker.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
