Inspired by a salad served at a regional chain Italian restaurant, I made a chickpea and beet salad. My version of this simple salad has the chickpeas two ways, cooked (canned) and roasted. The roasted chickpeas provide a slightly nutty and crunchy element to the salad without nuts or gluten.
The salad is very easy and nutritious. Although I really like the flavor and texture of cooking dried beans myself, the canned beans are such a time saver and still taste great with the beets.
Recipe: Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) and Beet Salad
Ingredients:
15 – 16 oz. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), canned or cooked
olive oil
salt
seasoning (garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, or other blends) OPTIONAL
pickled or roasted beets (I prefer the acidity of the pickled beets to balance the creaminess of the chickpeas)
romaine lettuce*
cucumbers, sliced
other vegetables as desired OPTIONAL**
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese, shredded OPTIONAL
Salad Dressing (Italian, oil/vinegar, ranch, Amish sweet and sour, whatever you prefer)
Instructions:
If using canned chickpeas, drain. RINSE thoroughly, until their is no longer any foam.
Place between layers of paper towels. Gently rub the chickpeas with a towel(s) to dry and remove some of the skins.
Divide chickpeas in half.
Remove any remaining skins from one half.
Place that half on a foil lined baking sheet.
Drizzle lightly with olive oil and mix the chickpeas around to make sure they are covered. DO NOT use too much oil…it will impede the chickpeas from becoming crispy.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 30 to 40 minutes (or until desired crispiness is reached***). Lightly shake baking sheet about halfway through cooking to turn the chickpeas over.
Remove from oven, Immediately add salt and seasonings, if desired. (I place them in a metal bowl and toss with the seasonings.
Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, place lettuce, cucumbers, the non-roasted chickpeas, pickled beets, the cooled roasted chickpeas and any other vegetables, etc. you want.
Salad can be dressed before serving or dressed individually after serving.
Notes:
This is a very flexible salad. Add or omit ingredients based on your taste and occasion.
***After 20 to 25 minutes, the outside of the chickpea will be crispy while the inside is still rather soft. Leaving them in another 10 minutes or so should result in a completely crunchy chickpea. If you want to make more than needed for this recipe, they make a good snack. If you have cooked them until they are crispy all the way through, they will keep for several days in an air-tight container. If they retain too much moister though, putting them in the air tight container will make them spoil faster…it is best to leave them out and eat them sooner if they are still a little soft.
The number of servings depends on the amount of lettuce and other ingredients used. Plus, it will serve more if using as a side salad vs. the main entree. As a main entree, more chickpeas and cheese are probably needed if you plan to serve more than 4 or 5.
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