I might start posting a lot more salads on the blog for the next month or so as I may not have access to a full kitchen for a while. After 18 years of living with our kitchen from hell, we’ve finally decided it’s time to do some much needed work. We debated whether to do a complete gut job or more of a facelift, and, for many reasons to be explained in future posts, opted for the latter. We are currently in the planning stages and hope to get things moving within the next couple of weeks. So check back for more updates and before/during/after pics!
So onto this delicious salad! It’s amazing what a dash of a single spice can do. This salad started out as more of a Mediterranean salad with sweet bell peppers, fresh basil, and kalamata olives. But when I tossed some chickpeas and cumin into the mix, it really warmed things up and gave the dish more of a Middle Eastern flare. If you’re not a fan of cumin, I really hope you’ll give it a try in this recipe because it’s not overwhelming at all, but adds a slightly exotic flavor.
For those following Dr. Furhman’s Eat To Live plan, this complies with the maintenance portion of the program. If you leave out the olive oil, this complies with the weight loss plan.
Ingredients (serves about 8)
2 cans chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 cups frozen edamame (thawed)
1 medium red bell pepper (diced – about 1 cup)
1 medium green bell pepper (diced – about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (diced or sliced)
fresh sliced basil leaves
Dressing Ingredients
3/4 cup fresh lime (or lemon) juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (split)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Using a mortar and pestle, grind the Italian seasoning with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. This helps break release the flavor into the oil. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, then pinch the Italian seasoning with your fingers to break it down. Set aside.
- Chop the vegetables and place them in a mixing bowl with the chickpeas and edamame. To make this salad “fast and easy”, I used my handy dandy Vidalia Chop Wizard – a huge time saver for recipes that call for lots of dicing. If you don’t have one or lack serious knife skills (like me), I highly recommend this chopper.
- Whisk the herb-infused oil with the remaining dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the salad ingredients and gently toss until well mixed.
- Serve chilled with freshly sliced basil leaves.
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