The beet

Whitsons’ Chef Paul Miola shares his Harvest of the Month recipe, Bombay Chickpea Salad. Delish!!

Chickpeas are a wonderfully diverse legume, full of protein power and fiber. Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans as they are also known, are typically beige in color, but can also be found in black, green or red. They are great for building bone and muscle health, as well as help our brain and nervous system function properly. Although traditionally consumed in hummus, chickpeas can be also served roasted, creamed, in soups and mashed as a sandwich condiment. To really get a feel for their flavor, you can also try this healthy fall salad for starters.

RECIPE: Roasted Chickpea and Avocado Kale Salad

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
5 oz. chopped kale, deveined
1 seedless cucumber, diced
10 oz. cherry tomato, halved
½ red onion, cut fine
1 avocado, diced
2 16 oz. cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 ½ tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. onion powder
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Place chickpeas in one layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Roast chickpeas at 400 ° for about 25 minutes, until golden brown and to your desired crunch level. You can shake the pan to move the chickpeas around about halfway through. When chickpeas come out of the oven, sprinkle them with paprika, garlic salt and onion powder and set aside. In a large salad bowl, toss the kale, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, add roasted chickpeas over the top and serve.