Iceberg Caesar Salad With Crispy Parmesan-Chickpea "Croutons"

chickpea iceberg caesar salad

With the recent romaine lettuce recalls people have been wondering: which lettuce is safe to use? Dr. Oz recommends swapping your romaine for iceberg because it has less calories than romaine and is generally safe from recalls. Chef Cara Mangini came on The Dr. Oz Show to demonstrate how to revamp a traditional Caesar salad using iceberg instead of romaine. Check out her delicious, healthier recipe — it uses Greek yogurt to make the dressing creamy and roasted chickpeas as a crouton substitute, both choices make this salad less caloric without sacraficing flavor. 

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1/2 cup Freshly grated Parmesan (plus more for finishing)
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice (plus more to taste)
2 Garlic cloves (freshly grated)
1/3 cup 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1 tsp White miso
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 tbsp)
1 (15 oz) Can chickpeas (rinsed, drained, dried well and peeled)
salt ( to taste )
1 lb Large head iceberg lettuce (washed, dried well and finely sliced into thin ribbons)

To make the dressing:

In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice and 1 clove grated garlic. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the miso, breaking it up evenly. Add the soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and pepper and whisk together until evenly combined.

Slowly stream in 1/4 cup olive oil while you whisk quickly and constantly, continuing until the mixture emulsifies. Add salt to taste if desired.

To make the Parmesan-chickpea "croutons":

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 clove grated garlic and stir until the garlic breaks apart and begins to sizzle. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, be careful not to let it burn.

Add the dried chickpeas and stir to evenly coat them in garlic oil. Sprinkle the chickpeas with salt and stir them. Transfer the chickpeas immediately to a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for about 45 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until they are golden and crispy.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately top the chickpeas with the 1/4 cup Parmesan, shaking the pan to evenly distribute and coat them. Let the chickpeas cool completely.

**Note: The key to crispy roasted chickpeas is to rinse, drain, and dry them really well. Shake them in a towel and let stand to remove excess water. It can be tedious, but you should peel the chickpeas to help make them extra crispy.

To assemble the salad:

In a large bowl, toss together the iceberg lettuce and about 6 tablespoons of dressing to evenly coat the lettuce. Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and toss to evenly distribute it. Add about three-quarters of the chickpeas, leaving a generous handful for topping.

Add more dressing, and salt and pepper to taste, as desired. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan and the remaining chickpeas.

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