Roast aubergine, courgette & chickpea salad with lemon-yoghurt dressing
A bright, light lunch: charred aubergine and courgette, crisp spiced chickpeas, rocket and a tangy lemon-yoghurt dressing.
Light, fresh and textural — this roast aubergine, courgette and chickpea salad lives somewhere between a proper meal and a cheeky lunch. The roasted veg stay silky, the chickpeas turn satisfyingly crunchy and the lemon-yoghurt dressing ties it all together.
Make it on a weeknight when you want something healthy that still feels a bit indulgent. Leftovers keep well and the chickpeas retain their crunch if you store them separately.
Ingredients
- 400 g aubergine — cut into 1 cm rounds or 2 cm chunks
- 150 g courgette — halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 1 tinned chickpeas — drained weight about 240 g
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 1 garlic clove — crushed
- 120 g natural yoghurt — use Greek-style for thicker dressing
- 1 lemon — zest and 30 ml juice
- 60 g rocket
- 150 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 30 g pumpkin seeds — to toast
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- baking tray/tin
- kitchen scales
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line a baking tray/tin with parchment or lightly oil it.
Toss the aubergine, courgette and red pepper with 20 ml olive oil, the smoked paprika, ground cumin and a pinch of sea salt so everything is evenly coated.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the baking tray/tin (do not overcrowd). Roast on the middle shelf for 25 minutes, turning once at 12 minutes, until tender and charred at the edges.
Meanwhile, drain the tinned chickpeas and pat very dry on kitchen paper. Toss with the remaining 10 ml olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and a little extra smoked paprika. Spread on a second baking tray/tin and roast on the top shelf for 25 minutes, shaking the tray at 12 minutes, until crisp.
Whisk the lemon-yoghurt dressing: combine natural yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, crushed garlic clove, 10 ml olive oil, black pepper and a little sea salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium hob for 2–3 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant and just starting to pop. Watch them closely so they don't burn.
Assemble the salad: in a large bowl combine rocket, halved cherry tomatoes, roasted vegetables, crisp chickpeas and most of the toasted pumpkin seeds. Spoon over the lemon-yoghurt dressing, toss gently, then scatter over fresh coriander and the remaining pumpkin seeds. Season to taste and serve immediately.
Tips
- Pat the chickpeas completely dry before roasting — the drier they are the crisper they get.
- Avoid overcrowding the tray when roasting veg; giving them space is the difference between charred and soggy.
- You can roast the veg and chickpeas a day ahead and refrigerate separately; assemble just before serving to keep chickpeas crunchy and rocket fresh.
- To reheat leftovers, warm the roast veg and chickpeas at 180°C fan for 8–10 minutes to revive the texture.
- If you prefer a hotter salad, add 1 tsp chilli flakes to the chickpeas before roasting.
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → tinned cannellini beans, drained (use the same weight)
Stays closenatural yoghurt → unsweetened dairy-free yoghurt (soya or oat) to make the dressing dairy-free
Stays closepumpkin seeds → toasted flaked almonds (30 g)
Noticeably differentfresh coriander → fresh mint or parsley, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 540
- Calories
- 22 g
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 480 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — swap the natural yoghurt for an unsweetened dairy-free yoghurt (soya or oat) and check your tinned chickpeas are rinsed well. The texture and tang remain very similar.
How long do leftovers keep?
Store roasted veg and chickpeas separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Combine and dress just before eating for best texture.
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of tinned?
Yes — soak overnight and simmer until tender (about 60–90 minutes), drain and use the same drained weight, then follow the recipe for roasting to crisp them.
My chickpeas didn’t crisp — what went wrong?
Likely too much surface moisture or overcrowding. Pat them very dry, use a single layer on the tray and give them space to brown.
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