Chickpea Magnet Salad

From the stories I’ve heard, it seems most people get turned onto the goodness of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) later in life. They’re magnificent beans with a distinct shape (that I find incredibly hard to draw) and a stronger flavour than their fellow bean pals. I simply love them.

I got acquainted with them shortly after becoming vegetarian. As soon as I stirred up a simple chickpea salad I was in love. Something about the taste was different than other beans I was used to. The long last salad recipe that introduced me to chick peas was exceedingly simple. This one that I present here might even have a few more ingredients but it’s still quick to whip up.

This recipe is a good’r for potlucks and everyday stuff in general. It’s extremely portable and keeps very well for a few days. You’ve got some protein and some veggies that can be rounded out with a bit of carbs (pita chips) and maybe some fresh carrots too.

This week in Calgary has been exceedingly hot and I’ve been trying to make as many things as I can without the using the oven or stove. However, I love to dance while cooking and this usually raises the temperature in my apartment by a couple of degrees at least. I always wonder if this has any impact on the food I make. In some hippy dippy way I think it excites the food and translates into a delicious dish full of positive energy. For people trying this dancing technique in their own homes I’ll give an obligatory warning that you want to watch out for knives and glass things. There, I said it. Here’s the playlist:

or watch it on youtube.

Chickpea Magnet Salad

Makes about 20 small side servings.

• 2 (16 oz) cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 green pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 red pepper, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, deseeded and minced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup cilantro, minced

1. In a large bowl stir together the chickpeas, green & red peppers, carrots, and jalapeno peppers.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, chili powder and cumin. Add to the chickpea mixture and toss to coat.
3. Keep the cilantro on the side until just before you head out to the potluck. If you let it sit in the salad overnight it can start to wilt and lose it’s flavour. Sometimes I’ll leave cilantro on the side as an optional add-on for guests. Cilantro can be very hit or miss with people. Other than the cilantro, the salad can be put together a day in advance with pretty minimal prep time. Toss it in a sealable bowl, toss it in your backpack and you’re good to go.