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If you are looking for a showstopping salad, look no further than this delicious Mexican-Inspired Chopped Salad. It’s packed with chickpeas, chorizo, and cotija cheese to make a super flavorful and refreshing salad.
My friend McKenzie told me about this restaurant in Seattle, Pablo y Pablo, that serves an incredible chopped salad that’s layered with flavor. This recipe is inspired by that one and is packed with the most delicious, fresh flavors to make a really unique and satisfying dish!
A lot of salad recipes are often an afterthought, but this one is absolutely worthy of being the main event. I’ve taken things up a notch by seasoning and roasting the chickpeas with the chorizo to get them crispy and let the chorizo render in the oven. The chewy chorizo, tangy peppadew peppers, creamy cotija cheese, and crunchy pepitas add such an incredible variety of flavors and textures that make this salad anything but boring. It’s packed with protein, so it’s filling enough to be served as-is but feel free to serve it with some protein on top like grilled chicken or shredded beef.
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Dried Oregano
- Kosher Salt
- Cayenne Pepper
- Cured Chorizo
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Honey
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Shallot
- Romaine Lettuce
- Lacinato Kale
- Peppadew Peppers
- Rainbow Radishes
- Fresno Chile
- Cotija Cheese
- Avocado
- Toasted Pepitas
Step-by-step:
step one: Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
step two: prep the chickpeas
Using a mesh strainer, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Line a large plate with paper towels and pat the chickpeas very dry. This step is essential to get them nice and crispy! If time permits, peel the skin off of the chickpeas and discard.
step three: season and roast the chickpeas
Transfer the dried chickpeas to the baking sheet and season with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Toss until well coated, then spread into an even layer. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
step four: add the chorizo
Remove the chickpeas from the oven, add the chopped chorizo, and toss to combine. Roast for an additional 7 to 10 minutes until the chorizo is crisp and some of the fat has rendered off. Toss to coat the chickpeas in the juices from the chorizo. Transfer the chickpeas and chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool.
step five: make the dressing
In a mason jar, shake together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper until well-combined. Add the shallots and let them pickle briefly in the vinaigrette.
step six: assemble the salad
To assemble, add the romaine and kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with half of the dressing. Toss to combine, using the tongs to massage the kale to soften. Add the peppadew peppers, radishes, a few more tablespoons of dressing, and Fresno chile. Toss to combine until evenly coated. Add in half of the chickpeas and chorizo, half of the cotija cheese, half of the avocado, and half of the pepitas. Toss lightly until just combined. Add the remaining dressing, then taste and season with more salt, if needed.
step seven: finish & serve!
To serve, divide the salad among four bowls. Top with the remaining chickpeas, chorizo, cotija, avocado, and pepitas.
Recipe FAQs:
This recipe calls for a pre-cooked, cured chorizo, which you can find near the cured meat section of your local grocer. This is different from the chorizo you can purchase in a casing that is raw or at the meat counter. It looks very similar to dried salami, but if you cannot find it, cured salami or soppressata will work. (Pro tip: when using cured chorizo, don’t forget to peel off the casing before using!)
The romaine and kale blend perfectly together in this salad, but if you prefer another lettuce, you can absolutely use it!
You can definitely tailor the spice level to your liking by omitting the Fresno chile and using minimal cayenne pepper. The peppadew peppers are generally considered to be mild, though!
The end result of this salad is extremely satisfying. It’s perfect to make for a weekend afternoon hosting friends outdoors, or any night of the week! Let me know what you think when you try it!
If you love this salad recipe, try these!
Sheet Pan Salmon Nicoise Salad
Lemon Chicken, Orzo, and Chickpea Salad
Crunchy Thai-Inspired Quinoa Salad
Mexican-Inspired Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the Chickpeas and Chorizo:
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste (optional)
- 6 ounces cured chorizo, casing removed and diced into small cubes
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large shallot, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
For the Salad
- 4-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce (from about 1 large head)
- 4 cups thinly sliced and de-ribbed lacinato kale (from about 1 large bunch)
- 1/2 cup peppadew peppers, drained and chopped
- 1 cup thinly sliced rainbow radishes
- 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced (optional)
- 3 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled
- 1 large avocado, diced diced
- 1/4 cup toasted pepitas
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roast the Chickpeas and Chorizo:
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Using a mesh strainer, drain and rinse the chickpeas. Line a large plate with paper towels and pat the chickpeas very dry. This step is essential to get them nice and crispy! If time permits, peel the skin off of the chickpeas and discard.
- Transfer the dried chickpeas to the baking sheet and season with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Toss until well coated, then spread into an even layer. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove the chickpeas from the oven, add the chopped chorizo, and toss to combine. Roast for an additional 7 to 10 minutes until the chorizo is crisp and some of the fat has rendered off. Toss to coat the chickpeas in the juices from the chorizo. Transfer the chickpeas and chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool.
Make the Dressing:
- In a mason jar, shake together olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper until well-combined. Add the shallots and let them pickle briefly in the vinaigrette.
Assemble the Salad:
- To assemble, add the romaine and kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with half of the dressing. Toss to combine, using the tongs to massage the kale to soften. Add the peppadew peppers, radishes, a few more tablespoons of dressing, and Fresno chile. Toss to combine until evenly coated. Add in half of the chickpeas and chorizo, half of the cotija cheese, half of the avocado, and half of the pepitas. Toss lightly until just combined. Add the remaining dressing, then taste and season with more salt, if needed.
- To serve, divide the salad among four bowls. Top with the remaining chickpeas, chorizo, cotija, avocado, and pepitas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
One of my favorite salads I’ve ever made!
Same!!! So delicious glad you love it, too