Whole Grain Salad with Chickpeas, Red Peppers, and Avocado
Normally, I’m not really a huge fan of grain salads. To me, a salad means lettuce and veggies – maybe a little meat or fish on top, but certainly not a big ol’ scoop of rice or some other grain thrown in the mix. Something about it just doesn’t seem salad-y to me. But, this one caught my eye.
Deb has yet to steer me wrong, so when I saw this recipe on her blog, I thought I would give it a try. Plus, I knew my legume-obsessed client would just love everything about it.
To up the nutritional value a bit, I used sprouted chickpeas instead of the canned variety. Soaking and sprouting beans also allows them to be more easily digested, thereby avoiding the…um…*usual repercussions* of eating them. You can try to sprout them yourself by soaking chickpeas in lots of water for 36-48 hours. Then, drain them and allow them to sprout at room temperature for 2 days, being sure to give them a little drink of water 3 times a day. However, I find it much less time consuming to just buy them. They are located in the produce section of my local grocery store. (I’m referring to Central Market, for you Texans out there).
This salad is so light, yet plenty filling. It’s packed with plenty of protein from the chickpeas, fiber from the whole grain, and healthy fats from the avocado. Along with the zip from the lemon, the smokiness of the roasted pepper and the fresh herbs, I’m sure you’ll find that it fits just perfectly in your summertime picnic basket.
WHOLE GRAIN SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS, RED PEPPERS, AND AVOCADO
serves four
adapted from a recipe by Deb
Note: This salad can be easily adapted to fit a gluten free diet. Instead of the bulgur, try using either steel cut oats or quinoa. Also, if your produce department doesn’t carry sprouted chickpeas and you don’t want to sprout them yourself, replace them with 1 can, drained and rinsed.
1 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
3 cups water
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
salt, to taste
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup diced Heirloom tomatoes
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 avocado, peeled and diced
12 Romaine heart leaves
1 pkg. Whole Wheat or Teff Pita Bread, warmed and cut into wedges
1. Bring water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add the bulgur and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the grain is soft. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the bulgur out on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate it until it is full chilled. (I stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up the process.)
2. Meanwhile, bring another medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Add the sprouted chickpeas and simmer until they are just softened. Drain the chickpeas and transfer them to a medium sized bowl. Set in the fridge and allow to cool along side the bulgur.
3. In a small jar, combine the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne, salt and oil. Shake, shake, shake until well combined and emulsified.
3. When the bulgur and chickpeas are cooled, combine them in a large mixing bowl. Add the red bell peppers, tomatoes, shallot, parsley and dressing. Toss until well combined.
4. To serve, line each plate with 3 lettuce leaves. Spoon a mound of salad on the lettuce and garnish with diced avocado. Serve with a few pita wedges on the side.
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