Chickpea Salad is the most requested item from our prepared food line. This vegan, gluten free, nut free salad is not only delicious but incredibly nutritious. While there is a recipe to make the salad, I loosely follow a base outline. I love that this salad can be altered, and you can adapt it to your tastes. My family loves celery and dill so when I make it I add double the amount of celery and go heavy on the dill. This can be eaten by itself, on toasted bread, with crackers, in a wrap, on a bed of lettuce or wrapped in pieces of collard greens. So, adjust the ingredients to fit your palate, serve it up in your own way and have fun.

Why I love this salad besides its deliciousness.

CELERY- I am celery’s biggest fan. A good source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants celery is quite impressive. But these green stalks don’t stop there they have superpowers that help lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure and help with inflammation including arthritis pain. Rich in vitamin C, and made up mostly of fiber and water these green goddesses are also good for weight loss. I love the crunch celery gives to this salad.

ONION- Red onion is often overlooked but a real superfood. Known to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and keep your heart healthy this power ball also helps eliminate carcinogens and toxins from the body.  If that isn’t enough in their raw form these guys pack vitamin C and phytochemicals which help build immunity. The sulfur compounds in onions are believed to offer anticancer benefits.

RED PEPPERS- Low in calories and rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants. A single pepper provides up to 169% of the RDI for vitamin C. These add a delicious crunch and fiber to our salad.

CHICKPEAS- The gold star of legumes chickpeas really pack a punch. The beans are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and an excellent source of plant-based protein. Chickpeas offer a variety of health benefits from improving digestion and heart health to weight management and diabetes prevention. The mashed chickpeas in our salad create a texture very similar to chicken. You can mash them all into a flaky texture or choose to leave some whole. You decide : )

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ small red onion or a few thinly sliced green onions

3 stalks of celery, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

3-4 TBS dill pickle, diced (if you use relish drain in paper towels or at least 1 hour)

2-3 TBS vegan mayo (the more vegetables you add the less mayo you will need)

1-2 tsp mustard (yellow or Dijon)

1-2 cloves of garlic

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp paprika

½ tsp poultry seasoning (this isn’t necessary but gives a nice flavor. I use Frontier Seasoning)

1-2 tsp dill

2 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste (I start with ¼ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper)

Directions:

1)  In a large bowl mash chickpeas with a potato masher. I often triple this recipe and use a food processor to pulse the mixture into a flaky texture.

2)  Add in the celery, pickles, onion, red pepper.

3)  Stir the mayo, lemon juice, mustard, and spices together. Add to chickpeas and vegetables.

4)  Taste and adjust to your liking. Remember to start small, you can always add more lemon juice or dill but can’t remove what you’ve already added.

5)  Serve up this tasty salad in your favorite way and sit back and enjoy!

I’d love to see photos of your delicious salads and hear how you enjoyed it!