Greens Salad, with Chickpeas & Honey-Balsamic Dressing

Dried White or Green Chickpeas

By Cat, May 2010 (Photo from Wikimedia Commons)

See also: 1. Salads Menu; 2. Dressings, Dips & Marinades Menu

A salad of greens has become ubiquitous in the American diet, but in recent years many new presentations of this icon have caught our attention, especially as we create our own gardens to produce the freshest of produce. Of course, many of the old standbys such as Cobb Salad and Caesar Salad are still tempting our tastebuds.

This salad has a bit of Greek flavor from the olives, chickpeas and  honey-balsamic dressing

Greens Salad with Chickpeas (Garbanzos)

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart Living, June 2010, where it was featured as part of a Greek Grill menu.

You can use canned chickpeas for this recipe, but I prefer to sprout then cook my legumes myself. For instruction, see Sprouting Beans and other Legumes. About ⅓ cup dried chickpeas makes 1 cup cooked chickpeas, so if starting with dried chickpeas, you’ll need 2 rounded tablespoons full for this recipe. Consider sprouting more and storing the unused ones in the fridge for snacking, or cook all of them and freeze the ones not used.

Serves 4.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• Salad
• 2 rounded Tbsp dried, sprouted chickpeas (for cooking); or use ½ cup cooked, drained
• 1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, torn
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• ¼ medium red onion, sliced thinly
• ½ cup Greek-style green olives, pitted
• Dressing
• 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Equipment
• jar for sprouting
• saucepan
• salad bowl
• small bowl or jar (for mixing dressing)

Method:

If using canned beans, skip to step 3. If using previously sprouted beans, skip to step 2.

1. If sprouting dried beans, see Sprouting Beans & other Legumes for instructions. It takes about 2 – 3 days for them to sprout. Or you can soak them overnight.
2. Drain, rinse, cover with water in saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until tender (20 – 30 minutes if sprouted; 1 hour or more if not). During last 15 minutes of cooking, add salt and pepper. Add more water as necessary.
3. Meanwhile, wash, rinse and pat dry the lettuce and tomatoes. Tear lettuce, halve or quarter the tomatoes (depending on size), and slice the onion. Add olives and cooked chickpeas.
4. Dressing: combine lemon juice, vinegar and honey. Pour in oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking (or blending in blender) until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper
5. Toss salad with dressing just before serving.

References:

1. Martha Stewart Living, June 2010 recipe