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Chickpea and Feta Salad

A big chopped salad of chickpeas, spinach chiffonade, carrot and bell pepper in a lemon-leek dressing, piled onto ribbons of romaine and finished with feta and balsamic. It eats light and fresh, and is best the day it's made.

SERVES 8 · 30 min · salad · vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup leek, minced, white part only (or red onion)
  • 2 cup baby spinach
  • 2 cup chickpeas, cooked; or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained
  • 2 piece carrot, grated (1 cup)
  • ½ piece red bell pepper, finely diced (1/2 cup)
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
  • 2 head romaine lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch-thick ribbons
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, 15-ounce can, drained (optional)
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • balsamic vinegar, for drizzling, to taste
  • salt and pepper, from the method; not listed separately in the ingredient list, to taste (optional)

Method

  1. Whisk together lemon juice and oil in bowl. Stir in leek, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.
  2. Roll 7 or 8 spinach leaves into tight cylinder, then slice into thin strips (see "How to Chiffonade" p. 42). Repeat with remaining spinach leaves.
  3. Combine spinach, chickpeas, carrots, bell pepper, and sunflower seeds in large bowl. Stir in leek mixture, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
  4. Divide romaine among 8 plates, top with chickpea salad, and arrange tomatoes around salad, if using. Garnish each serving with 1 Tbs. feta, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Notes

Eat this salad the day it's made—otherwise, the spinach will wilt and turn soggy. Per 1-cup serving: 175 cal; 8 g prot; 7 g total fat (2 g sat fat); 22 g carb; 5 mg chol; 190 mg sod; 8 g fiber; 6 g sugars. Marked gluten-free on the page.