This refreshing, vegan, plant-powered salad offers a healthy balance of fiber, fat and protein. Chickpeas alone are a wonderful source of fiber, but when combined with healthy greens such as kale and chard, you benefit from additional plant protein along with antioxidants and other micronutrients. This is a truly detoxifying and restorative dish that will bring balance to blood sugar levels and generously satisfy the appetite. You can also add a punch of flavor by adding additional fats such as kalamata olives, crumbled feta or other oils which make for an even more satiating dish.
Vegan
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes + overnight for chickpeas
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Yield: 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
2/3 cup dried chickpeas or one 15 ounce can, drained
3-1/2 cups chopped greens. Use kale, chard, or mixed baby greens (remove thicker end of stems and chop softer areas of stems)
1-1/2 cups of chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil (for greens)
1-1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame seed oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons soy or coconut liquid aminos, more to taste
Chopped parsley or cilantro to taste
Sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
Optional Add-ins: Chopped avocado, red peppers, thinly sliced shallots or onions, kalamata olives or crumbled feta cheese
Preparation:
Preparation for chickpeas: (night before)
Rinse chickpeas under cool water. Place in a medium sized bowl and cover with enough water for chickpeas to triple in volume. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, stir, cover loosely with a towel. Let sit overnight, or a minimum of 7-8 hours.
Preparation for chickpeas (next morning)
Drain and rinse chickpeas, place in saucepan, add water to cover them plus 1-1/2” more. Add seaweed, ginger and liquid aminos. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low and gently simmer. Cover pot leaving an opening for steam to escape. Simmer for 30-60 minutes.
While chickpeas are simmering, gently sauté the greens in avocado or olive oil at low/medium heat. After 2 minutes, add garlic and one tablespoon of water to steam greens for an additional 2 minutes. They will begin to wilt and turn a brighter shade of green. When done, transfer to a large mixing bowl.
When chickpeas are done cooking, drain and remove the ginger and seaweed. Chop the seaweed and set aside, discard the ginger. At this point, it is highly recommended that the outer layer of the chickpeas be removed. *Instructions are below. Once complete, add the shelled chickpeas, chopped seaweed, lemon juice, toasted sesame oil, olive oil and liquid aminos to the greens, gently toss to combine. Once this mixture has cooled, add the chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.
*Instructions for removing the outer layer from the chickpeas:
Pat the cooked chickpeas dry. Place in a mixing bowl with 1-1/2 tablespoons of baking soda and toss to coat. Heat the coated chickpeas in a skillet for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The skins will begin to pop off. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and fill with cool water. Agitate the beans between your hands to release the skins which will float to the top. Change the water and repeat process until skins are removed.