Chickpea Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian)
This chickpea Caesar pasta salad recipe has all of the wonderful flavors of traditional Caesar salad but made hearty, delicious, and plant-based! A great vegetarian lunch or dinner option that is tasty and inexpensive to make.
This easy vegetarian salad is also great for meal prep or for making ahead of time. See our step-by-step photos below to make this recipe along with us today!
Want more hearty plant-based salad ideas? Try our marinated mozzarella pasta salad, stuffed date salad, and our favorite warm chickpea arugula salad.
We love a good Caesar salad, especially one that is plant-based and has no added anchovies or meat products in it. This chickpea Caesar salad version has crisp romaine lettuce, marinated chickpeas, rotini pasta, and our delicious 5-minute vegetarian Caesar dressing in one bowl!
This easy salad is especially great for meal prepping as you can make it on the weekend and enjoy for a few meals throughout the week. It’s also a fantastic no oven recipe… perfect for hot weather days.
Notes from the Kitchen
- This chickpea Caesar pasta salad is light, creamy, refreshing, and delicious.
- A hearty and vegetarian version with added pasta and chickpeas for protein and fiber.
- It has a no-anchovy Caesar dressing that is easy to whip up in minutes.
- Great for summer meal prep, this vegetarian Caesar pasta salad travels well to work, a picnic, or the beach.
- Cooks of any skill level can successfully make this dish by following along with our step-by-step photos below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See our recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
The base of any good Caesar salad is a fresh crisp head of romaine lettuce. We love romaine, especially as it holds up pretty well in the fridge after being chopped, making it great for meal prep.
You can use plain canned chickpeas or marinate them for added flavor in each bite. I prefer the marinated version soaked in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Rotini pasta makes a great addition to the salad, as do croutons. I love the crunch of the croutons in this dish as they bring a lot of classic Caesar salad flavor.
And our creamy 5-minute vegetarian Caesar dressing is made with Greek yogurt, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and a vegan Worcestershire sauce. Using a vegetarian parmesan cheese is optional but highly recommended for that classic Caesar salad flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
You can use any shape of pasta you prefer. Doesn’t have to be rotini. Penne, macaroni, or any other medium-shaped pasta will work well in this salad. Use a gluten-free or chickpea pasta if desired.
If you have a store-bought vegetarian Caesar dressing that you like, you can certainly use it in place of our homemade recipe below. Use between one cup to 1 and 1/2 cups depending on how creamy you want your salad.
And there are plenty of options to replace the romaine lettuce! You can use massaged kale, baby spinach, or a spring mix if desired.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions
Step 1: If marinating the chickpeas, drain and rinse the canned chickpeas and place them in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, but up to 1 day in advance. If you aren’t marinating the chickpeas, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions. Once finished cooking, rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside.
Step 3: Make the dressing: in a small bowl, mix together the Caesar dressing ingredients.
Step 4: In a large serving bowl add in the marinated chickpeas, cooled noodles, chopped Romaine lettuce, parmesan and croutons.
Step 5: Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well to combine.
Step 6: Top with a little extra vegetarian parmesan cheese before serving, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Our plant-based Caesar pasta salad is made with fresh romaine lettuce, marinated chickpeas, croutons, pasta, vegetarian Parmesan cheese, and our simple 5-minute anchovy free Caesar dressing.
Most Caesar dressings contain anchovies, are not plant-based. Our vegetarian dressing uses a vegan Worcestershire sauce in place of anchovies for that nice deep umami flavor without any fish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy within 2 days. See our expert tips below for meal prepping this pasta salad to make it last longer in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is great on its own for a simple lunch or dinner. You can use our quick marinated chickpeas in the recipe below or delicious Greek marinated chickpeas as well.
This salad is great with a slice of vegan sourdough focaccia bread or our simple no-knead Dutch oven bread recipe.
If you want added protein, toss in some crispy tofu with cornstarch…. It is a great addition tossed with the Caesar dressing.
Expert Tips
- If you are meal prepping this recipe, try not to toss the romaine lettuce with the rest of the ingredients until right before serving. You can mix up the Caesar dressing and toss that with the pasta, chickpeas, and croutons first. Tossing the romaine lettuce with the dressing will make it wilt quicker, so do that right before serving.
- Marinating the chickpeas is optional for flavor. If you are short on time, plain canned chickpeas are also delicious.
- And feel free to add more of your favorite protein to this salad as well. It’s great with grilled tofu or tempeh.
More Hearty Pasta Salad Recipes
- Tzatziki Pasta Salad Recipe
- Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Salad Recipe (High Protein)
- Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad Recipe
- Ditalini Pasta Salad Recipe (No Mayo)
- Orzo Pasta Salad with Artichokes Recipe
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Our cookbook One Ingredient, Five Ways has tasty no-waste plant-based recipes for everyone!
Chickpea Caesar Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
Marinated Chickpeas
- 1 14- ounce can chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Salad
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 large head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup seasoned croutons
- 1/3 cup shredded vegetarian Parmesan cheese optional
Creamy Vegetarian Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water if needed to thin the dressing
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- If marinating the chickpeas, drain and rinse the canned chickpeas and place them in a bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Let them sit for at least 15 minutes, but up to 1 day in advance. If you aren’t marinating the chickpeas, you can skip this step.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions. Once finished cooking, rinse under cold water, drain, and set aside.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, mix together the Caesar dressing ingredients.
- In a large serving bowl add in the marinated chickpeas, cooled noodles, chopped Romaine lettuce, and croutons.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss well to combine.
- Top with vegetarian parmesan cheese, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are meal prepping this recipe, try not to toss the romaine lettuce with the rest of the ingredients until right before serving. You can mix up the Caesar dressing and toss that with the pasta, chickpeas, and croutons first. Tossing the romaine lettuce with the dressing will make it wilt quicker, so do that right before serving.
- Marinating the chickpeas is optional for flavor. If you are short on time, plain canned chickpeas are also delicious.
- And feel free to add more of your favorite protein to this salad as well. It’s great with grilled tofu or tempeh.
Nutrition
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