I like to eat chickpeas from the can. It’s true. We have a few cans in the cupboard and when Sam is away in the evenings at the theatre I’ll eat them as a snack. We once had an argument that went like this:
S: Is there anything you want picking up at the shop?
Me: Chickpeas.
S: Just a tin of chickpeas? What are you going to do with them?
Me: ……eat them? You like eating plain rice…so….. suck it. Buy me some chickpeas. Please.
But when I make them as a side dish for other people to enjoy, I understand that maybe they need a little excitement. If you’re not a fan of cilantro then never eat this dish.
Chickpea Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Adapted from Heather’s Dish. I like things spicy, so if you’d prefer it a bit more mild, take a look at her original recipe.
Ingredients:
15 oz can of chickpeas (the equivalent of 2 cups)
2 cups of spinach, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
juice of 2 limes
3/4 cup of cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of cayenne
Instructions:
Add your chopped spinach, chickpeas, onion, pepper and jalapeno into a large bowl. (Clearly this recipe isn’t very hard.)
Then add the lime juice, spices, oil, dijon, garlic and cilantro into a food processor and pulse until it’s smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, put all these ingredients into another bowl (having chopped the garlic really finely) and then just whisk with excessive force. Aka until it’s smooth.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir until everything is evenly coated. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before eating.
I’d love to pretend that I ate this over a bed of quinoa and kale but in reality it was a side dish to some halloumi sandwiches.
