Fran and I were talking about going for a walk to enjoy the lovely weather, but I was hungry and wanted to eat lunch before we left. Besides, it's necessary to have some fuel to get your body moving, right? I knew Fran didn't have lunch, so I suggested that I come up with something, which he was more than happy for me to do. I didn't want to make anything too involved and wanted to make something quick that I didn't have to cook.
And this couldn't be any easier to make.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and membrane shells picked out
1 medium sized tomato, chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
10 chopped spicy mixed olives
1 lemon, squeezed
3 tablespoons of vegan mayo
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Put lemon juice, mayo, olive oil, and spices into a bowl and mix with a fork or whisk until blended well. Set aside.
Put the prepared chickpeas in a mixing bowl and mash roughly with a potato masher, leaving some whole chickpeas for texture. (I actually goofed when I first made this and forgot to mash it up until I had already added the ingredients, but it ended up working out quite nicely.) Add the tomato, celery, and olives into the chickpeas until well blended. Add the dressing and blend well. I let this sit for a few minutes to for the flavors to come out, which they did quite well.
I serve this with a salad or make a sandwich on a nice hearty bread with a few leaves of romaine lettuce.
