Break out of your salad rut with this delicious arugula salad topped with tender grilled steak, crispy garlic roasted chickpeas and an easy lemony tahini dressing! (gluten-free)

closeup of sliced steak, crispy roasted chickpeas, onion and parmesan on arugula with tahini dressing on a grey plate.

Whoever said salad was boring has never had a salad like this before. Juicy grilled steak, crispy garlic roasted chickpeas, freshly shaved parmesan and zippy onion lay on a bed of spicy arugula. It all gets topped off with a simple lemony tahini dressing for a delicious, hearty, and sophisticated salad - with no croutons, ranch, or iceberg lettuce in sight!

Why You'll Love This Salad

There are some ingredients that just work together. Peppery arugula and juicy steak. Chickpeas and tahini. Lemon and parmesan. Garlic and, well anything. They're all present here, and they mingle and play off of each others' greatness in this delicious dinner-worthy salad. It's made with simple, nutritious ingredients that add up to way more than the sum of their parts.

How To Make Arugula Steak Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

9 image collage showing steps for making roasted chickpeas and grilled steak arugula salad.

Make the tahini dressing, if you're using it.
Make the crispy chickpeas. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Use a clean towel or paper towels to dry them well.
In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with oil, garlic powder and salt. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Roast the chickpeas at 400°F. for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Make the steak. Generously season steak with kosher salt and pepper on both sides and rub with olive oil.
Grill steak over medium-high heat for 2-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steak. You're looking for an internal temperature of about 125°F to pull it off the grill for medium-rare.
Remove the steak from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing steak against the grain.
Spread arugula on a serving platter. Top with sliced onion, freshly shaved parmesan, chickpeas and sliced steak. Drizzle with tahini dressing.

overhead view of steak and arugula salad with roasted chickpeas and tahini dressing on a plate with a jar of dressing beside it.

Tips For The Best Steak Salad

Make sure to use garlic powder not garlic salt on the chickpeas.
Any tender cut of steak that is suitable for grilling works well on this salad. I used NY strips, but flank steak, sirloin, or ribeye also work well. Aim for 1-inch thickness for quick cooking.
Resting the steak before slicing is critical to retain the juices and to let the internal temperature come up about 5 degrees. Here's a good guide for temping a steak for your target doneness.
Slice steak against the grain for the most tender steak.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This salad is a great use for leftover steak. If you'd like to make everything ahead of time, I suggest serving the steak cold, as reheating steak tends to make it over-done and rubbery. The chickpeas can be roasted up to 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Re-crisp them for a few minutes in the oven or in a skillet on the stove. The tahini dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance. Wait to assemble the salad until just before serving.

closeup of sliced steak, crispy roasted chickpeas, onion and parmesan on arugula with tahini dressing.

More Crave-Worthy Salads

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Arugula Steak Salad with Garlic Roasted Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

overhead view of steak chickpea arugula salad on a plate drizzled with tahini dressing.

Print Recipe

Break out of your salad rut with this delicious arugula salad topped with tender grilled steak, crispy garlic roasted chickpeas and an easy lemony tahini dressing! (gluten-free)

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: grilled
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the chickpeas:

1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp kosher salt

For the salad:

1 lb steak (I used NY strip, but ribeye, sirloin, or flank steak all work well)
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil
1 (5 oz) package baby arugula
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
2 oz parmesan cheese, freshly shaved
tahini dressing

Instructions

Make the crispy chickpeas. Heat oven to 400°F. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Dry well on a clean towel or paper towels.
In a bowl, toss chickpeas with oil, garlic powder and salt. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Roast chickpeas for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the steak. Heat grill to medium high heat. Generously season steak with kosher salt and pepper on both sides. Rub with olive oil.
Grill steak over medium-high heat for 2-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steak. You're looking for an internal temperature of about 125°F to pull it off the grill for medium-rare.
Remove steak from the grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing steak against the grain.
Spread arugula on a serving platter. Top with sliced onion, freshly shaved parmesan, chickpeas and sliced steak. Drizzle with tahini dressing.

Notes

Make sure to use garlic powder not garlic salt on the chickpeas.
Any tender cut of steak that is suitable for grilling works well on this salad. Aim for 1-inch thickness for quick cooking.
Resting the steak before slicing is critical to retain the juices and to let the internal temperature come up about 5 degrees. Slice steak against the grain for the most tender steak.

Keywords: arugula steak salad, steak salad with roasted chickpeas, arugula salad with steak and chickpeas