Lemon Chickpea Salad
I have a tendency to get stuck using a certain ingredient over and over. This can be frustrating at times, but the more I think about it the more I realize it’s not such an awful problem to have. This problem ultimately just showcases the diversity of ingredients, or at least that’s my positive spin on the subject. Currently, chickpeas seem to be my ingredient of infatuation, my mind darts to them when i’m trying to stir up something new. I keep a list going of blog and recipe ideas and notes on random inspiration, and if you were to see that list today, you’d see the word chickpea scribbled quite a few times. I can’t help it, I love them, and they really are so diverse. Hummus has to be one of my favorite snacks, but honestly as soon as they are cooked and drained I find it hard to refrain from just popping them in my mouth. So, this is just a friendly heads up that the chickpea will be frequenting the blog in all of it’s glorious forms in the coming weeks.
This is one of those go to meals for me. A protein rich salad that is a great side or perfect to pack up for lunch. The fresh and clean flavors are perfect for spring. There really is much to it, just real, fresh and high quality ingredients. This is also an incredibly customizable dish, don’t limit yourself to the ingredients I’ve chosen, although I do have to say they make a mighty fine combination.
The Recipe
This recipe will serve 4 as a picnic side or 2 as a nice lunch. If you aren’t going to be eating it all at once, only dress what you need as you need it.
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ ripe avocado, sliced
- small handful of sprouts, I used broccoli and clover
- 2 carrots, grated
- ¼ cilantro, chopped
- a few slivers of red onion
- 2 juicy lemons (about ¼ cup)
- ¼ c olive oil
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 1 t honey
- salt & pepper
In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, honey, salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients and gently toss to coat.
Note: Cooking dried chickpeas will yield the most fresh and flavorful results. Soak chickpeas for at least 4 hours, rinse and add new water to cover, simmer for about 1 hour until tender and cooked through. Once cooked, add salt and allow to sit in water for about 10 minutes before draining. I also like to add a head of garlic and some thyme while cooking to add more flavor. If you are unable to do this, organic canned chickpeas will also work.