…Have I mentioned I’ve been obsessed with crispy chickpeas? Seriously. I’ve been experimenting with different spice combinations and throwing these on salads, or just munching on them as a snack.
I do eat meat, but I eat it sparingly. I listen to my bodies needs. If I’m feeling like I need a little more protein, usually the few days before the start of my menstrual cycle or after I’ve been more active than usual, I’ll add animal protein in. But, for the most part, my day to day is vegetarian or vegan with lots of veggies and leafy greens, filling fats, and veggie protein sources.
Chickpeas are one of those filling protein sources and, as of recently, crispy chickpeas.
I’m a big fan of anything mediterranean — olives, artichokes, mint, tzatziki, sun-dried tomatoes, bruschetta, cucumbers, roasted eggplant, basil, hummus — you name it. I’ve travelled pretty extensively around Europe, including a 5 month study abroad program in Florence, Italy, where my palate for all of these mouth-watering foods really formed. I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with the freshest food on the planet? That area of the world has a reputation for a reason.
Since summer started and the farmers market I go to every Thursday at the Redondo Beach pier has been stocked with fresh herbs, I’ve been experimenting by chopping up these fresh herbs and mixing them in with my salad greens. That’s actually how this salad experiment started. I had a few bunches of fresh mint I had just purchased, chopped up about a handful of it, and mixed it in with the rest of my salad greens.
Mint is very cooling for the body, so on a hot Los Angeles summer day like the ones we’ve been experiencing these past few weeks, my body and my taste buds ate it right up. I started throwing some of those crispy chickpeas I had been experimenting with on top, along with some olives (healthy fats), artichokes, cucumbers and a homemade dressing with a white balsamic vinegar — and there it was — this salad recipe, or, love at first bite.
Mediterranean Inspired Crispy Chickpea Mint Salad Cook time: 25 minutes | Serves: 2
Roasted Chickpeas
2 boxes or cans of Chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried
2 Tbls Olive Oil
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Salad Dressing
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Salad Base
2 large handfuls Leafy Greens
1 bunch of Mint, chopped
3/4 Cucumber, diced
1/4 cup Black Olives, chopped
1/2 cup Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Spread chickpeas out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and shake spices over chickpeas. Mix together, distributing chickpeas even and flat across baking sheet.
Place chickpeas in oven and cook for 25 minutes total, turning them over half way through.
While chickpeas are cooking, combine all salad dressing ingredients in a jar. Shake well. Chop veggies and mint.
When chickpeas are done, allow to cool. While chickpeas are cooling, assemble salad bowls with fixings.
When the chickpeas are slightly cooler, add to the top of your salad. Drizzle dressing on both and serve.
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