This is one of my favorite salads IN THE WORLD. It’s fresh, it’s quick, and it’s extremely tasty. When I eat it, I feel like the most successful vegan in the world, even though I’m not vegan. Still, if a salad can make you feel that triumphant, eating is doing something right.
Combining chickpeas, cilantro, lime and a blender produce one of the healthiest and yummiest salads on the planet. This is perfect for a lunch, or a side dish. Or, you know, a binge snack session, a late-night salad splurge, or anything else that feels right.
WARNING: This leaves you with some pretty gnarly garlic breath. Consider cutting back or omitting the garlic if you have any face-to-face work meetings, enclosed spaces planned, or a blind date later tonight.
CHICKPEA CILANTRO LIME SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
- about 2 15-oz cans of chickpeas, or about two cups of home cooked chickpeas, drained
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup onion, diced small (sweet onion has less impact, red onion is tangier but more potent)
- the juice from 2 small limes
- 1/2 – 1 cup cilantro
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard (Dijon is preferred, but regular yellow mustard will do in a pinch, especially if that’s all you have on hand!)
- 1 garlic clove (OPTIONAL, as mentioned above)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste
WHAT TO DO:
- Chop up the spinach in a food processor or blender.
- Move the chopped spinach into a large bowl, adding the drained chickpeas and diced onion.
- In the same food processor, add your cilantro, lime juice, mustard, sugar, cumin and oil. Mix until smooth. You’ll have to scrape down the sides to get it evenly mixed.
- Pour the dressing over top of the chickpea/spinach/onion mixture, and stir well.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Steal a few bites if you must, but try to let this salad sit in the fridge for at least ten minutes, to allow the flavors to mix and mingle.
- Once that window goes by…eat it all. And LOVE it.
Chickpea Cilantro Lime Salad
Recipe found at RealHouseMoms.com
