Spinach Salad With Roasted Vegetables and Spiced Chickpeas

Melissa ClarkTime 1 hour Yield 4 servings

Evan Sung for The New York Times

The best main-course salads are precariously balanced things, requiring planning and forethought to come out well. You need to make sure that your mix of vegetables, proteins and starches hits all the requisite flavor and textural notes — sweet, salty, tangy, fresh, crisp, soft and rich. In the end, a main-course salad should feel virtuous and a little decadent, and eminently satisfying. This recipe works on all those levels. It has crunchy, salty chickpeas imbued with spice. There are sweet potatoes and carrots roasted until exquisitely tender. The creamy Greek yogurt dressing spiked with garlic is creamy and rich. And finally, there’s the spinach, which is earthy and fresh.

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Ingredients

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots (1/2 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon chile powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces spinach (6 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towels and spread drained chickpeas evenly on top. Pat dry with another dishtowel or paper towels.
Step 2
Toss sweet potato and carrots with 2 tablespoons oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and top with thyme sprigs. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden-brown and very tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
Step 3
While vegetables are roasting, toss chickpeas with 2 tablespoons oil, chile powder, cumin and a large pinch of salt. Spread on another rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven 10 minutes after you’ve put in the potatoes and carrots; roast until crisp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 4
Using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a large pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Add it to a small bowl and whisk in yogurt and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 5
In a large bowl, combine spinach, roasted vegetables, chickpeas and shallot. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat vegetables and greens and serve at once.