I try to write my posts a day or two in advance so as I’m writing this I am recovering from my first day of school. LOL. It was so much fun but I am exhausted. I love how excited and eager the kids are on the first day and I am looking forward to a fresh start and a great year. Another thing I am looking forward to is the weekend, too soon? How is it only Wednesday?! Weekends are great for gathering with family and, while the warm weather lasts, having cookouts. I made this delicious chickpea salad this past weekend for a Labor Day party and it was quite the success.
Chickpeas are a funny legume. They are hearty but small and pack a subtle but distinct flavor. Because chickpeas are so meaty they are great to throw in a salad or in this case, become the base of the salad. For this recipe the ingredients are minimal and putting this salad together is almost fool proof. If you are a chickpea lover this recipe is for you. If you are unsure about using chickpeas as a salad, I encourage you to go ahead and try it. Be a daredevil, you!
I used two cans of chickpeas for this salad and it is imperative that you rinse them well. I pour mine right into a colander and rinse thoroughly with water. If you don’t rinse them they will have an oily texture and not a good flavor. Be sure to let them drain a bit and shake off excess water if possible.
The more vegetables the better
I omitted the celery and radishes from this recipe because I don’t love how they taste when they’re raw, but if you like them I would recommend adding them in. I think this salad would be great with a variety of vegetable and if I make it again I would add broccoli, peppers and carrots! I know they would be scrumptious in the salad, especially paired with the dressing.
Alter the dressing
That statement seems strange, I know, but sometimes you must alter the dressing to your taste-buds. What seasonings I like, you may not like but that shouldn't deter you from trying out this recipe. I actually changed the dressing the original recipe called for and I love the way it turned out. Cilantro is such a potent herb and blends well in a dressing, which is why i chose this instead of basil. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE basil, however, I was a bad plant mom and killed my basil about a week after it was starting to thrive so...no basil for me. I really need to step up my “green thumb” game.
Please let me know if you have any comments or questions, I’d love to hear from you! We’re halfway through the week, we can do it! Happy eating!
Chickpea Salad + Avocado Cilantro Dressing
Hearty chickpea salad with an avocado cilantro dressing!
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas
- 1 cup red onion, chopped
- 2 cups cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 3 tbsps pepita seeds (or sunflower seeds)
- Ingredients below are for the dressing
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
- 2-3 tbsps water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad
1. Rinse chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Add the chopped vegetables and top with the pepita seeds. Set aside.For the dressing 1. Add the avocado, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, yogurt, and just 2 tablespoons of water to a food processor or blender. Blend until the ingredients are well mixed. If dressing is too thick add water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. 2. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. 3. Pour dressing over chickpea mixture. Refrigerate in air tight container.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6 servings*Recipe adapted from Ceara's Kitchen
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