Roasted Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Cucumber and Mint
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There is nothing like a crisp chilled salad on a hot summer day. I like to prep a couple of days of salad at a time so the veggies selected are sturdy and longer lasting than some. One tip is to wash and completely dry the raw vegetables, which helps maintain the fresh consistency we like in a salad. Roasting the chickpeas not only gives an added crunch but a fabulous flavor that roasting gives vegetables. The fresh mint brings a brightness to the flavor— don’t omit it! If you like a little heat, add a dash of cayenne pepper when you roast. In these dog days of summer, get out the veggies for cool salads. Serve as a light meal, put in a pita, or pair with any grilled meat, chicken or fish. (The phrase dog days of summer comes from this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when Sirius appears to rise and set with the sun. The brightness of the star was thought by the ancient Greeks and Romans to add to the heat of the season, July 3-August 11. Sirius is part of Canis Major Constellation, the Dog Star).
Foodie Lit
Leaving her husband and dysfunctional marriage, Isa packs her suitcases and heads for France, her grandmother’s birthplace. “In a separate bag, she carried her laptop, electronic reader and two of her most cherished books, Pride and Prejudice and Somewhere in Time.” Isa hopes for true romance and magic across time and relationships....She would fix her broken life.”
Author Jerri Schlenker (pronounced Jera), travels along with her characters. “I write a lot of my experiences into my characters. I don’t think I’ve ever written a book that doesn’t have a spiritual component. Writing is a part of my spiritual journey.”
Roasted Chickpea Salad with Red Pepper, Cucumber and Mint
Yield: 4-5 servings
Dressing
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Salad
2 14.5-ounce can or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 red bell pepper, cored, deribbed, seeded and diced
1 medium cucumber, seeded, peeled and cut diced (if using organic cucumber, there is no need to peel and if using English cucumber, there is no need to deseed)
1-2 radishes, diced
1/4 cup green onions, green stem chopped
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup drained can of hearts of palm
1/4 cup packed, minced fresh mint leaves
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Rinse and drain chickpeas from can. If cooking dried chickpeas, follow directions on package. Drain in a colander.
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Toss chickpeas with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place in an oven proof pan so that all the chickpeas are in a single layer. Roast in a 375 F oven at for 30-40 minutes or until golden and crispy. (Add a dash or two of cayenne pepper for some heat, if you like.)
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In a jar with a lid, shake olive oil and lemon juice until well blended. Add salt and pepper and shake again. This will give you more than you need for the salad. You can store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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In a bowl, add chickpeas, red bell pepper and cucumber. Toss gently to incorporate. Add dressing and taste to adjust seasoning.
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Toss in mint leaves before serving.
#vegan #salad
expandthetable suggestions
Other veggies to add:
1/4 cup olives, chopped
1 cup canned or cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup drained can of artichoke hearts
5-6 leaves Romaine, red leaf or Boston Bibb lettuce, torn into small pieces
1 hard boiled egg, chopped (this makes the salad vegetarian, not vegan)
Tip
If prepping salad for several days, make sure after the fresh vegetables are washed, they are completely dried. This will help the salad retain a fresh crisp taste.
