Veggie-Packed Dill Pickle Chickpea Salad

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Health Benefits:

When I want an easy option for weekday lunches, a chickpea salad is one of my favorite things to make a big batch of ahead of time and have ready to go all week. Not only are the options of what to add endless, but the flavors get better the longer it sits.

It's easy to scoop on top of some greens, add a few seeds or crackers and you have a quick, fiber-packed, balanced meal that travels well and will keep you nourished for whatever the rest of your day has ahead.

This version is made with a pickle-forward flavoring, but the sky is really the limit when it comes to seasonings and I encourage you to throw in whatever extra crisp veggies you have laying around that need to be used up. By doing so, you add more color, vitamins and nutrients and avoid food waste of those unused cucumbers, carrots, beets etc. that are on their last legs!

When making this, I find the easiest (and fewest dishes) method is to flake the chickpeas with just a fork to get the texture you like. But if you wanted to throw the chickpeas and vegetables into a food processor and pulse till pea-sized, that is a great method as well.

Not a pickle fan? You can leave them out, instead adding a little extra lemon juice or some red wine vinegar. Just make sure to taste and adjust to your liking.

Ingredients (Makes 4 Servings):

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 red bell pepper

• 4 stalks celery

• 1 carrot

• 2 scallion stalks

• 1/4 cup dill pickles, finely diced (or see above if you want to omit)

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely minced, or 1 tsp dried dill

• 2 tbsp dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp vegan or regular mayonnaise 

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp salt

• black pepper to taste

Equipment Needed:

• Can opener

• Colander

• Large mixing bowl

• Fork

• Cutting Board

• Peeler

• Knife

• Measuring spoons

Instructions:

• Drain and rinse the 2 cans of chickpeas.

• Add the chickpeas to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to mash them into small flakes.

• Rinse the bell pepper, celery, scallion and carrot.

• Peel the carrot.

• Dice the bell pepper, celery and carrot into small pieces and add to the chickpeas.

• Finely slice the green parts of the scallions (and white ends if you like the flavor) and add to the bowl. 

• Add the diced pickles.

• Add the garlic powder, dill, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

• Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

• May be enjoyed immediately or keeps well in the fridge up to 5 days.

Nutrition Info (per Serving): Calories: 249 Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 33g Fiber 11g Protein: 11g