This delicious and refreshing Crunchy Ranch Salad is topped with crispy baked quinoa, chickpeas, toasted sunflower seeds, and crushed croutons. Mix crunchy romaine lettuce with your favorite ranch dressing and vegetables, then add a big helping of the crispy topping. This Ranch Salad is great for lunch or a light dinner.
Ranch salad is a refreshing classic, and adding a few fun crunchy elements to it really takes it to the next level. This Crunchy Ranch Salad with Crispy Quinoa is inspired by the vegan ranch crunch salad from Trader Joe’s. I’m a sucker for a salad topped with crunchy things like croutons and sunflower seeds, and I added even more to this one.
This is the first time I’ve tried making crispy quinoa, and now I want to do it all the time. It’s crispy, flavorful, and great for snacking or adding to salads like this one.
Ranch Crunch Salad with Crispy Quinoa Recipe Ingredients
- Lettuce – I recommend using romaine or iceberg lettuce for this recipe because they are the crispiest lettuce varieties. If you don’t like romaine or iceberg, your favorite salad greens can be used instead.
- Salad Veggies – You can use whatever salad veggies you have on hand. I used cucumber, carrot, radish, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
- Ranch Dressing – I did not use homemade ranch for this recipe, but you’re more than welcome to! I used my favorite store-bought ranch dressing but have a great Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe here.
- Chickpeas – When roasted in the oven, Chickpeas get nice and crispy. They are a great salad topper and also add protein.
- Quinoa – Crispy baked quinoa adds a nice crunch and some extra nutrition.
- Croutons – I like to add crushed croutons to this salad. They make for a crunchier salad; you can enjoy some croutons in every bite.
- Sunflower Seeds – Sunflower seeds that are roasted and salted add more crunch and some saltiness.
- Spices – I flavor the baked quinoa and chickpeas with paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper. You can add other seasonings, too.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper
How To Make this Ranch Crunch Salad Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add the chickpeas and cooked quinoa to a large sheet pan. Next, pour over the olive oil and season with the paprika, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix well until the chickpeas and quinoa are completely coated. Bake until crispy and browned, 20-25 minutes, flipping once.
- Allow chickpeas and quinoa to cool. Then, add them to a bowl, along with the crushed croutons and sunflower seeds. Mix together well and set aside.
- Wash, dry, and chop your lettuce into bite-size pieces. Add lettuce to a large bowl, and then add your salad veggies. Mix with the desired amount of ranch dressing, then top with a couple of big spoonfuls of the crunchy mix. You can mix a large salad and serve, or serve individual portions and have each person dress and add the crunchy mixture to their salad.
Ranch Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this salad gluten-free? It can be easily made gluten-free by using gluten-free croutons. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
- Can I make this ranch salad vegan? Yes, just use your favorite homemade or store-bought vegan ranch dressing.
- Is this salad filling? It does have protein from the quinoa and chickpeas, so it is more filling than some salads. It just depends on your appetite!
- How long do leftovers last in the refrigerator? It really depends on what kind of lettuce you use and whether or not you dress the salad before storing it. Romaine lettuce is crispy and lasts longer in the refrigerator. Any leftover salad that’s already dressed will go bad more quickly than a salad that hasn’t been dressed.
Do you have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will respond soon.
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Crunchy Ranch Salad with Crispy Quinoa
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This delicious and refreshing Crunchy Ranch Salad is topped with crispy baked quinoa and chickpeas, toasted sunflower seeds and crushed croutons. Mix crunchy romaine lettuce with your favorite ranch dressing and vegetables and then add a big helping of the crispy topping! Great for lunch or a light dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup your favorite ranch dressing, or more if desired
- 2 cups of your favorite veggies, diced (I used tomato, cucumber, carrot, radish and red onion)
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, that has been cooled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups crushed croutons, see notes for more info*
- 1/2 cup toasted, salted sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. To a large sheet pan, add the chickpeas and cooked quinoa. Next, pour over the olive oil and season with the paprika, granulated garlic, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix well, until chickpeas and quinoa are completely coated. Bake until chickpeas and quinoa are crispy and browned, 20-25 minutes, flipping once.
- All chickpea and quinoa to cool. Add them to a bowl, along with the crushed croutons and sunflower seeds. Mix together well and set aside.
- Wash, dry and chop your lettuce into bite size pieces. Add lettuce to a large bowl and then add in your salad veggies. Mix with desired amount of ranch dressing and then top with a couple big spoonfuls of the crunchy mix. You can mix a large salad together and then serve, or you can serve individual portions and have each person dress and add the crunchy mixture to their own salad.
Notes
*I just use store-bought croutons that I hit with a rolling pin until they smash into small pieces.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Salad, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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