Sunday night’s got me like…sigh…tomorrow’s coming. Doing school work (or work work I guess for you employed folk) all day inside can cause a serious case of the blues for me. And when I have the blues, just about the only thing that can cheer me up (besides my ridiculously cute pooch) is a great meal to look forward to! Tonight I’m prepping my take on a chop salad which is so simple, really healthy, and will definitely help motivate me through the bleak Monday morning ahead.
The star of this salad are the roasted
curried chickpeas, my new favourite salad ingredient! These puppies are ready
in minutes and add the perfect crunch, flavour, and protein that you’re looking
for in a delicious lunch salad.
Just as important as the toppings is the dressing! I pair the spicy chickpeas with a cool Greek yogurt and mint dressing. Yum! And what is the salad without the base of
course? I’m using kale for my lunch lettuce, because it stays really crispy and
crunchy for a while. There is NOTHING worse than looking forward to your delicious
spinach salad all morning to find it’s wilted by the time lunch rolls around.
Avoid this crisis situation by using kale! So crunchy, flavourful, and stays
fresh long. Phew.
Add the rest of your favourite toppings
(heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion and duh, feta) and you’ve got yourself a
winning dish. Show Monday who’s boss with this kickass chop salad…and bring
extra forks for your jealous coworkers perhaps. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Total time: 20 minutes
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
For chickpeas
1 can of rinsed chickpeas
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
For salad
Large handful of purple kale
1/2 cup cheery tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 tbsp. feta, crumbled
1 tbsp. fresh mint, roughly chopped
For dressing
1 tbsp. Greek yogurt (0-2% M.F)
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
7-8 fresh mint leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2.
In medium-sized bowl, combine
curry powder, cumin, Garam masala, and salt. Add chickpeas to bowl along with
olive oil, and combine well so that each chickpea is coated
3.
Spread chickpeas out on a
baking sheet and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes
4.
Blend together all ingredients
for dressing in a blender or using a hand blender. No need to chop anything
before! Combine until smooth
5.
In bowl (or plastic container for
tomorrow’s lunch) combine kale, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Top with
chickpeas (cooled) and feta cheese
6.
Add salad dressing just before
eating and enjoy!
Labels: Appetizers, Party Ideas, Salads
