Adults love it, kids loathe it. For better or for worse, spinach is a mainstay super food that just cannot be ignored in today’s diet and my Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas is yet another reason to add it to your lunch or dinner menu plans.
This post is sponsored by Tabasco as part of its 10-Ingredient Challenge. Thanks for supporting companies I believe in, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you.
This recipe combo is the final installment of my Tabasco 10-Ingredient Challenge, following up my Tabasco Brined Spicy Drumsticks, Tabasco Chicken Meatballs in a Spicy Tomato and Apricot Sauce and Tabasco Braised Chicken with Chickpeas and Kale.
Spicy and we love it.
First lets start off with the chickpeas, or as most of you know them as garbanzo beans. Why the distinction in name? The French first initiated the word chickpea and then the English followed suit by putting their swag stamp on the legume by switching the name to garbanzo.
Personally I’m going to assert my authority and give this protein packed powerhouse a totally new title: Welcome the chickabanzo. Catchy, right?
To make these chickabanzo beans special this time around I answered my urge to kick up the flavor. What better way than adding a little spice, via a quick coating of Tabasco Original Red Sauce, and then tossing them into the oven to mutate flavors with a nice toasting bake.
What I love about these guys is that they are the perfect snack. They’re great for entertaining thanks to the spicy, saltiness that pairs so well with a little cocktail in one hand and a handful of chickpeas in the other or perfect for a snack when you’re running out the door.And who wouldn’t like these as a hostess gift? What? The holidays will soon be here? Note to self: make these again.
And then lunchtime rolled around. I almost always have a salad for lunch, something I can take a serious crunch out of, and chickpeas are always included to the party. These spicy nuggets would be the perfect addition.
With a bag of spinach sitting in my refrigerator alongside some leftover bacon, I suddenly craved an old school hot bacon dressing, the kind that perfumes the kitchen and adds just enough warmth to gently coat each vitamin packed leafy green.
Layering the spice of Tabasco in both the dressing and the Spicy Roasted Chickpeas was a no-brainer. And let us not forget the bacon. Oh baby, bacon. It moves this recipe into the something especially craveable column.
But when I decided to throw on some sweetened but still a tad tart cranberries to give it an extra zing…sign me up for lunch and/or dinner. Heck, throw an egg on this sucker and we have breakfast. Oh mama.
Give it to me spicy or not at all. That’s just one of my food mantras.
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing and Toasted Chickpeas
Ingredients
For the Spinach Salad
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco Original Red Sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 8 cups spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 ½ cups Tabasco Roasted Chickpeas recipe below
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Toasted Chickpeas
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas drained
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco Original Red Sauce
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
For the Spinach Salad
- Cook the chopped bacon in a fry pan over medium-high heat to the crispness you desire. Spoon the cooked bacon out of the grease with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let bacon start to cool in pan for 1-2 minutes then slowly stir in the Tabasco, careful so it doesn’t splatter, then add the water and mix.
- Add the spinach, cranberries Tabasco Roasted Chickpeas and parmesan cheese to a large bowl and dress the salad with the Hot Tabasco dressing. Serve immediately with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
For the Toasted Chickpeas
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drain and rinse garbanzo beans, then pat dry. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Mix the canola oil and Tabasco together and drizzle over the garbanzo beans. Stir to coat.
Bake the beans for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and season with kosher salt and the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store refrigerated up to 1 week.
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Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
Crunchy, spicy, sweet and healthy. My kind of salad.
Belinda @themoonblushbaker says
You have just solved the issue with “not wanting to eat salad” days with this meal. Totally go for this any meal of the day! yum!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Chickabanzo!!! Love it!! Always reminds me of the ones we ate in Carmel on the Dole trip – so good!!
Tieghan says
Heidi, this is liks a dream salad! The spinach, the hot bacon dressing and the spicy roasted chickpeas! Some of my very favorite things going on here and so pretty too!
molly yeh says
holy cow, this is all of my favorite things. on spinach. this is the kick in the butt i needed to get me to eat a green vegetable. thank you, ms. foodie crush!!
Monica says
Boy, I would gladly eat this for lunch. Looks delicious!
Cecile Roy says
“Chick a Boom – Chick a Boom Boom !!” I’ve been looking for a warm bacon dressing – and I love fresh spinach – what a great recipe. Plus the crunchy, spicy chickpeas – oh yeah !!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
I spy some major hand modeling in action. I need to send this to Jason to take notes!
Kristen says
Oh my gosh – I love that dressing!
Christy @ My Invisible Crown says
I always see roasted chick peas but have never roasted them myself. I LOVE the idea of spicy. Super cool recipe dude!! :)
Cookin' Canuck says
Holy cow! Every single part of this looks fantastic. I pictured it when you described it to me, but now I REALLY want to make it.
Patti says
This salad looks awesome. Love anything with spinach, especially salads.
Emily says
Mmm…bacon…
Christine |Taste of Divine says
I made this salad tonight and it was so delicious! I love the chickpeas. I used a little less hot sauce, as I am a wimp when it comes to spicy food, haha! Pinning this now : ) Oh, your pictures are gorgeous by the way!
Amanda says
This looks absolutely delicious! I think my picky-eater-family will love it too :) Can’t wait to try! I am sharing this on my blog with a link back. Thanks again for sharing!!
JP says
I’m sorry but I’m kind of confused with the directions on this. I would love to make it because it looks delish! It says to cook the bacon and remove and place it on a paper towel to drain. Then it says let the bacon cool in pan for 1-2 minutes. I don’t get it. :( Are you also adding the tabasco sauce in with all the bacon grease as well. It may make sense to others, but my brain isn’t computing it right now. :)
Judy Curtis says
I have the same problem as JP. Don’t quite understand the instructions. Does the bacon go back in the pan with the grease, or is it a separate pan? And what constitutes the dressing? I really want to make this. We’re big fans of Tabasco around here!
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