I simply had to share this combination with you! I threw the dressing together for a vegan potluck salad recently and enjoyed leftovers on a quick little chickpea arugula salad afterward. We loved this combo so much that I had to get all the details down here. The shallot thyme dressing is simply sublime and would be good on all kinds of salads. It’s tangy, light, a tiny bit sweet, savory, herbaceous, and just truly mouthwatering.

I was throwing together a salad for one of our family Easter gatherings. Champagne vinegar and shallot was my planned base for the dressing. I had the shallots diced so fine and shook them up in a jar with everything else. After my first taste (loved it instantly!), I used my trusty stick blender to make it more of a creamy consistency. I thought that folks might be turned off by the texture of raw shallots, so smoothing it all out seemed like the right move.

The fam loved it and I was thrilled to have a little extra left in the jar. Most of the salad recipes that I’ve been sharing here for 15+ years feature slightly oversized batches of dressing to help you out with a extra meals throughout the week. I do this with my own home cooking all the time.

I decided on crispy air fried chickpeas tossed in an ultra savory blend of nutritional yeast, onion, and garlic powders for this chickpea arugula salad. This is something that I make to finish off a lunch salad or simple puréed soup all the time. I keep saying it, but the air fryer really is an essential appliance. These get crispier than oven-roasted chickpeas and you don’t have to painstakingly dry them with a towel beforehand.

And of course I had to get in there with shaved fennel (one of my favorite vegetables!) and red onion. They add that critical fresh crunch to every bite. Enjoy!

Crispy Chickpea Arugula Salad with Fennel & Shallot Thyme Dressing

This chickpea arugula salad is all about the dressing! Perfectly tangy, a little sweet, and deeply savory with shallots and thyme. Chickpeas crisp up in the air fryer and the whole thing takes about 30 minutes to throw together.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings 2 -4

Ingredients

Crispy Chickpeas

• 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

Shallot Thyme Dressing (makes extra)

• 4 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup/agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup grape seed or other neutral oil

Salad Assembly

• 5 oz (142 grams) container baby arugula
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Notes

• You can roast the chickpeas in the oven–425 for 25-30 minutes. They don’t get as crispy as the air fried version, but they’re still pretty tasty. Also note that if you’re baking in the oven, you’ll need to blot the chickpeas dry with a clean kitchen towel before tossing with oil and seasoning.
• You can also blend the dressing in an upright/personal blender. I’m just really into my immersion blender lately.

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 390°F and set the timer for 12 minutes. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with the oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Once air fryer is heated, add the chickpeas and shake a bit. Close the air fryer.
• Cook chickpeas for about 10-12 minutes, shaking the basket every 2-3 minutes. The chickpeas will be crunchy and golden brown when done. Set aside.
• Make the dressing. Place all dressing ingredients in a wide mouth jar. Blend ingredients together with an immersion blender until totally smooth and emulsified. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the arugula, red onion, fennel, and half of the chickpeas. Pour about a third to half of the dressing over top and season with salt and pepper. Toss with tongs to evenly coat everything in the dressing. Sprinkle the remaining chickpeas on top and drizzle more dressing if you like. Enjoy immediately!

Author: Laura Wright

Course: Salad

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: air fryer chickpeas, chickpea arugula salad