Little Gem Vegan Ranch Salad
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This Little Gem Vegan Ranch Salad is loaded with crisp lettuce, creamy vegan ranch, sunflower seeds and crispy harissa chickpeas!
This Little Gem Vegan Ranch Salad was born out of my childhood love for a salad covered in ranch – you know, the kind you get from a pizza parlor salad bar – and my (slightly) more elevated tastebuds. Little gem lettuce is the perfect vehicle for the vegan ranch, since you don’t have to chop it and the dressing seeps into all of its crevices. And the harissa chickpeas act as the perfect crouton. They are slightly spicy, but mostly pack a lot of flavor. This is a must make!
Step One: Make the Harissa Chickpeas
The harissa chickpeas are a key part to this salad recipe! They are filling in as the crouton…and honestly, I think they do a better job. They are crispy, have some spice and also add some fiber/protein to the salad!
To make them, you will need:
- chickpeas
- olive oil
- harissa paste – I got mine at Trader Joe’s
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- cumin
- salt & pepper
Add all of the chickpea ingredients to a baking sheet and toss to coat. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes – be sure to keep an eye on them the last 10 minutes, to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
You can use these right away or make them ahead of time, store in an airtight container and add to salads as needed.
Step Two: Make the Vegan Ranch Dressing
I am obsessed with these vegan ranch dressing! I think it has the perfect tang and all the right spices. Plus it is super easy to make!
To a bowl add some vegan mayo, vegan yogurt, alllll the typical ranch dry seasonings and some apple cider vinegar. Mix, mix, mix and that is it!
The main thing you want to remember when making this ranch is that it is ok to play around with the seasonings! Make it your own. I personally love a lot of vinegar in mine, so I go heavy handed.
Step Three: Assemble & Serve
The lettuce in this recipe is one of my favorites. Little gem lettuce is a tiny little guy. Perfect if you don’t feel like doing much chopping. Just pull the leaves off of the stems, wash and dry. You could always use chopped romaine, butter lettuce or even iceberg.
Add the lettuce to a bowl and pour over as much of the dressing as you’d like. Toss until everything is coated.
You could leave the lettuce in the mixing bowl, but I personally like to transfer it to a platter and them top it off with the harissa chickpeas, sunflower seeds and some vegan parmesan.
This salad is crunchy, salty, creamy…all the good things. You have to try it!
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Little Gem Vegan Ranch Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE HARISSA CHICKPEAS
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained & rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon harissa paste use less if you prefer less spice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE VEGAN RANCH
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1/4 cup vegan yogurt unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar to taste
FOR THE SALAD
- 3 heads little gem lettuce
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds shelled
- vegan parmesan optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all of the chickpea ingredients to the baking sheet and toss to coat. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes – be sure to keep an eye on them the last 10 minutes, to make sure they don't burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, add all of the vegan ranch ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- Remove the stems from the lettuce and break off the leaves. Wash and dry the lettuce. Place the lettuce in a large mixing bowl and add as much of the dressing as you'd like. Toss until coated.
- To serve, transfer the lettuce to a platter and finish it off with the harissa chickpeas, sunflower seeds and vegan parmesan.
Video
Notes
- This is best served right away. If making ahead of time, wait to assemble until right before serving.
I love these chickpeas. Next time I’ll make at least a double batch to make leftovers for snacks…
Completely new to eating vegan, but would like to ask how do you make or where do you get vegan Parmesan? Been reading through your recipes and they look amazing. I can’t wait to make them. Thank you for sharing so newbies like me can get a handle on cooking an entirely new way.
Hi Michele – I usually get shredded parmesan from Trader Joe’s and grated parmesan from Follow Your Heart. Those are my personal faves 🤗