Chickpea Salad

For the fourth day of the marathon, I made chickpea salad. Last year, I mention about my new love affair with these legumes and it is still on. Now, I am not the only one who is in live this legume, Mr.U has also fallen in love with, he has fallen for the salad, more than the chickpeas. I made chickpea salad last week as a side dish and Mr.U loved it. He wants me to make it every 2-3 days. This salad is healthy and filling, just perfect if one is considering cutting down carbs. It is rich in protein and fiber, making it a fulfilling meal.

Kind of vegetables and the quantities used can be adjust to your choice. I have used tomatoes, red onions & cucumbers today. Sometimes add substitute tomatoes with carrots and sometimes I add both. I made this salad with five ingredients and counted vinaigrette as one of the five.

Ingredients:

1. ¾ cup cooked Chickpeas canned or frozen or freshly cooked
2. 4-5 Cherry Tomatoes cut in half or quarters, depending on the size
3. ½ Kirby diced
4. ½ small Red Onion dice
5. Vinaigrette
   • 1 ½ – 2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
   • 1 ½ – 2 tsp. Lime Juice
   • 1/3 tsp. Chili Powder
   • 1/8 tsp. Salt

Preparation:

• Wash and cut the vegetables into desired size.
• If using canned chickpea, drain the chickpea and run it under fresh water. If using frozen chickpeas, wash it in water and microwave for 30 seconds to thaw it.
• Make the vinaigrette but mixing all the ingredients under vinaigrette and whisk it lightly.
• Take vegetables and chickpeas in a serving bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over it and toss it.
• Serve it chilled or as it is.

Note:
I usually cook soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook it for 6 whistles with some salt or until cooked. I do it in bulk and freeze it in small ziploc bags.