CHICK PEA SALAD

All of the flavor of a chickpea shawarma sandwich in a salad! Mediterranean-spiced chickpeas, fresh salad, and Garlic Dressing. A flavorful, filling, plant-based meal.

Ingredients

CHICKPEAS

·  1 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried in a clean towel

·  1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

·  Heaping 1 tsp cumin

·

·  Heaping 1/2 tsp turmeric

·  Scant 1/2 tsp sea salt

·  1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

·  1/4 tsp ground ginger

·  Pinch each black pepper, ground coriander + cardamom

SALAD

·  5 ounces (141 g) spring mix lettuce (organic when possible)

·  10 cherry tomatoes, chopped (organic when possible)

·  1/4 cup (28 g) red onion, thinly sliced

·  3/4 cup (45 g) fresh parsley

1 avocado

·  20 (~60 g) pita chips, slightly crushed (store bought or homemade*)

DRESSING

·  1/2 cup (120 g) hummus

1/2 cup tahini

·  3 cloves garlic (1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g), finely minced or grated

·  1 lemon, juiced (2 Tbsp or 30 ml)

·  Water to thin

Instructions

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

2.    Add washed and dried chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and all seasonings and toss to combine. To help them cook faster and disperse the seasonings more easily, lightly mash half the chickpeas with a fork (leaving the other half whole).

3.    Sample a chickpea and adjust seasonings as needed (I added more salt, cumin, and ginger). Then arrange in a single layer on a bare baking sheet and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Then set aside.

4.    In the meantime, prepare all salad ingredients and add to a bowl (reserving pita chips for later). Set aside.

5.    To prepare dressing, add hummus, garlic, dill, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Then add warm water and whisk until pourable.

6.    To serve, add baked chickpeas and pita chips to the salad, along with half of the dressing. Toss to combine.

7.    Divide between serving dishes and serve with remaining dressing.

8.    For best results, store leftovers separately (chickpeas in a container at room temperature, salad ingredients in refrigerator, dressing in a container in refrigerator, pita chips in a container at room temperature). Keeps for 2-3 days, though best when fresh.

Notes

*To make your own pita chips, slice 2-3 pieces of pita into triangles and brush or spray both sides with grape seed or coconut oil. Lightly season with zaatar.  Then arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast on each side for 3-5 minutes in a 400 degree F (204 C) oven. This can be done while the chickpeas are baking to save time!