Moroccan Chickpea Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp each sea salt and ground black pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 cups BPA-free canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup each chopped fresh cilantro and mint
• 1/3 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chickpeas, carrot, onions, tomatoes, red pepper, cilantro, mint and feta.
3. Pour lemon juice dressing over chickpea mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

 Nutritional Bonus: Chickpeas contain the trace mineral molybdenum, which helps detoxify sulfites – a common preservative – from the body. Just 1 cup of chickpeas contains 164% of your recommended daily intake of this essential micronutrient. 

Refreshing, healthy and easy... does it get any better than that on a summer weeknight? This salad is hearty enough to fill you up for dinner, and often tastes even better as lunch the next day after the flavors have marinated.

Serves: 6
Makes: 7 cups
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes

Nutrients per serving (1 cup chickpea salad): Calories: 254, Total Fat: 9 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 34 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 7 g, Protein: 10 g, Sodium: 204 mg, Cholesterol: 2 mg


Recipe from Clean Eating Magazine