This chickpea chopped salad is an excellent choice for lunch any day of the week. The name is actually functional in alliteration only because the truth is, if someone asked me: “Hey, Ali. Why do the chickpeas get all the fame?”, I’d have to admit that in fact, the chickpeas really do play an equal role to all other ingredients. And then I’d be all, “Boy, you sure are a stickler.”

If I had to pick a star of this salad, it would actually be the simple-yet-tangy dressing that pulls the whole thing together. This eclectic mix is hearty enough to keep you going through a productive work day, but light enough not to put you to sleep at your desk after lunch (although a desk nap is a nice thing if you can swing it). In fact, this salad should come with a warning: that you might just dream of eating it every single day. So there you go, this is your warning. This salad makes enough for about 4 people, so adjust your ingredients accordingly if you are rolling solo.

You’ll need:

– 1/2 can chickpeas

– 1/2 can heart of palm

– whole corn kernels, either 1/2 can or 1-2 grilled cobs

– 1 avocado

– 1/2 pint grape tomatoes

– 1 heart romaine lettuce

– goat cheese (optional)

– cooked, shredded chicken (optional)

– (dressing) extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar & grainy Dijon mustard

Now what?:

– chop all salad ingredients to a similar size (not including chickpeas and corn, for obvious reasons)

– mix all ingredients in a large salad bowl

– in a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 c of extra virgin olive oil to make a quick vinaigrette (avocado oil would be great with this too!)

– add desired amount of vinaigrette to salad and mix thoroughly

Om nom nom!

xo Ali