What’s Cooking?…Creamy  Chickpeas Salad.  “Chicky Peas”

Personally, I love chickpeas.  I always like to keep dried chickpeas in my pantry, they don’t take up much room, but they can feed a lot of people if need be.  I like to soak my chickpeas overnight then drain, add fresh water and cook until soft. This can be done ahead of time. If you don’t like to do that, then buy a tin. Just remember it will be saltier.

I wanted something new.  Chickpeas are so tasty and versatile.  The nature of them creates great possibilities such as hummus, falafel and curries.  But I wanted something different.   I wanted a salad with chickpeas.   So, sometime ago I developed this salad.  It’s pretty simple but has a nice quality of being creamy ( even though there is no cream), a bit bitey because of the chili and yet still having a nice fresh taste due to the lemon and coriander.  In the cooler months of the year avocados and lemons are plentiful, but this does make a great summer salad too.  A great dish for vegetarians.

This is how I do it.

Ingredients for the salad

Method

Combine the first six ingredients.  Mix together gently.   Season with a little extra salt and pepper if desired.  Gently fold through the avocado.

That’s it!  Ready to serve.  If you wish to make this salad ahead of time, that’s okay, just leave out the avocado until serving time.