Green Queen Recipes: The Ultimate Cleansing Salad – Packed With Protein & Fibre

This chickpea and parsley concoction is one of our go-to lunch salad. Quick and easy, it’s great for busy schedules and lazy mid-day cooks. On days when we’re more famished than usual, we like to add a poached or boiled egg or some grilled tempeh (fermented soybean cake).

Part of the giant pulse family that brings you beans, peas and lentils, chickpeas are lauded among the plant-based population for their high levels of protein and their healthy fibre content. Full of iron, vitamin B-6 and magnesium, it’s no wonder chickpea dishes feature so regularly on vegetarian restaurant menus. Both South Asian and South American cuisine have been making great use of them for centuries so there are so many great recipes to try out for those of us who don’t eat enough of them. Chickpeas are also suitable for the gluten intolerant. With their nutty flavour and floury texture, they satisfy even the heartiest of appetites and keep you full for hours.

We prefer to use dried chickpeas, soaked in filtered water overnight then cooked on medium-high heat for 45 minutes in salted water, but non-BPA lined canned chickpeas also work if you are in a time crunch- just make sure to rinse them very well, at least until the water runs clear. Not rinsing them enough can cause bloating. Make sure to also soak the shallots in the lemon juice, salt and oil for at least 5 minutes. This will remove the strong, punchy flavour from these bulbous onions and draw out their sweetness.

Prep Time: 15 mins | Serves 1-2

Ingredients

• 4 small shallots, thinly sliced
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 2 tbsp macadamia oil
• 2 cups chickpeas, freshly cooked or canned
• 6 small red radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 cups packed flat leaf parsley, leaves only

Directions

1. Combine sliced shallots, lemon, salt and oil in a small bowl. Gently massage ingredients together and allow the juices to be soaked up for around five minutes.
2. Meanwhile, finely slice the radish and pick off the parsley leaves from its stems.
3. Add chickpeas, radish and parsley to the shallot mixture and toss to combine.
4. Serve as a side for two or a main for one.