Chickpeas & Citrus Salad Bowl

When a salad has the right ingredients, I can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The key to making a good salad is to not overburden it with toppings. Keeping it simple ensures that your salad is a tasty creation the whole family can enjoy. 

For dinner last night I whipped up a citrus chickpea salad using left over roasted chickpeas. The chickpeas were roasted in soy sauce and maple syrup; it's a recipe from the Thug Kitchen cookbook...so yummy! You'll find my variation of the recipe down below. I was so happy with my delicious concoction, I just had to share the recipe with you. 

 Roasted Chickpeas

1 tablespoon olive oil
15 oz. can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 teaspoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in frying pan. 

2. Pour rinsed chickpeas in the pan and stir occasionally.  

3. When chickpeas begin to pop, at about 5-7 minutes, add all seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Add liquids: soy sauce and maple syrup. The Thug Kitchen recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, however, I usually skip it because I like the sweet and spicy taste without the tartness of the lemon.  

5. Cook until liquid thickens and begins to dissipate.  

6. Serve on top of salad or eat with flour tortillas and enjoy! 

Citrus Salad

2 cups chopped spinach
1-2 navel oranges cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 red onion cut into thin slices                                
1 cup grape tomatoes cut into halves
1 avocado cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Dressing: I mixed 4-5 tablespoons of Newmans Own oil and vinegar dressing with 2-3 tablespoons of juice from the oranges. 

Place ingredients in a large bowl. Pour in dressing. Toss salad to ensure all ingredients are covered with dressing. 

Place salad in bowl, top with chickpeas and enjoy!