Skip The Croutons And Top Your Next Caesar Salad With Crunchy Chickpeas

Croutons may be a classic, but when it comes to Caesar salad, sometimes a little shake-up is a good thing. Thankfully, there's an easy-to-make and rewarding-to-consume alternative: crunchy chickpeas. Swap out the croutons for a crisp bite of garbanzo beans the next time you prepare a Caesar salad and get ready for the spoils.

There are many good reasons to make this swap. Chickpeas are known for their health benefits, like providing a dose of protein in a way that bread cubes would be unable to. They also have magnesium and potassium, known to prevent high blood sugar. But perhaps the most compelling reason to swap chickpeas for your croutons is the crunch they provide and the flavor (and versatility of flavors) they can inject into your salad — an easy trick to liven up that same-old-same-old Caesar salad. Making crunchy chickpeas is undeniably easy as well. You can take canned or cooked (but dry) chickpeas, coat them in a little olive oil, and roast them in the oven until they have a nice crunch, anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.

The simple formula for crunchy chickpeas makes the crouton-chickpea swap supremely easy. It also invites experimentation. A generous sprinkle of sea salt goes a long way atop those crunchy garbanzos, but that's just the beginning of how they can be transformed. This crispy chickpea recipe from Tasting Table utilizes garlic, dried rosemary, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, and suggests crisping the beans on the stovetop for about 10 minutes.

You can experiment with flavors from other dishes that utilize chickpeas as well. Steal a step from this Tasting Table recipe for Moroccan chickpea stew by crisping up your chickpeas with a little cumin and garlic, or try this recipe for maple and za'atar roasted chickpeas, putting a little extra emphasis on their crispy texture. If you want to go the extra mile, try pan-frying your cooked or canned chickpeas with a little lemon and parsley for a bite that's sure to satisfy. Utilizing the air fryer is always a good idea, as this Tasting Table guide suggests, for a one-way ticket to crunch. Spruce it up with a pinch of salt and paprika and start tossing that Caesar salad.