Chickpea Salad is the Champion of Easy, Peasy, Anytime Eating
Keeping a batch of this roasted poblano-studded chickpea salad in the fridge opens the door to multiple quick, easy, affordable meals
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Chickpea salad really feels like a lifesaver to have on hand. It’s cheap, you can make it in large batches, stick it in the fridge, and it’s ready when you are. You can eat it on its own, build a sandwich with it, slap some on a piece of toast, or better yet, layered on a tostadita with some hot sauce. This is definitely a champion dish for veg heads all around.
But this one here isn’t a typical salad you’ll find at your local health food store. This one has some of my favorite ingredients that I always have around: fresh lime juice, dried oregano, cilantro, and roasted poblano.
If you give me any opportunity, I will always add a roasted poblano to a dish. Yea, it takes some time to prep. But roasting a poblano is well worth the wait. Nothing beats the char, smoky flavor. Generally, when preparing at home, poblanos are roasted over a high flame directly on the stove top. But if you’re stuck with an electric stove like me, I’ve been using my broiler. I place the chilies on a sheet tray and get them as close as I can to the broiler on high heat till they char up black. Here’s a little pro tip, the broiler will shut off once it reaches a certain temperature. I leave my oven door slightly cracked open so that the heat can escape, causing the broiler to stay on a high radiating heat without shutting off. Be careful if you try this method, please!
If you have the time, I suggest using dried chickpeas. It may be easier to buy canned; this recipe will still work, but your salad will come out a little on the sloppy side, in my opinion. Hey, if you prefer it that way, let it rip! But starting with dried gives the chickpea salad a better hold. It also has more flavor and still has a bite to it.
More Related Recipes to Try Next:
Jicama Tostada with Avocado, Guajillo, and Hibiscus
Confetti Chickpea Grain Bowls with Lemon Herb Dressing
Chickpea and Swiss Chard Succotash
Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb dired chickpeas (or 4 15-oz cans)
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cups diced celery
- 5 poblano chilies
- 1/4 cup, packed, picked dill fronds
- 1/4 cup, packed, picked cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons salt
Preparation
- Follow your preferred method for cooking dried beans. I usually do an overnight soak. but for this recipe I placed the chickpeas in a pressure cooker (or instant pot) with 9 cups of water and let it cook for 1 hour. Once done, drain the chickpeas and set aside to let them cool.
- While the chickpeas are cooking, you can roast the poblanos. If you have a gas stove you can roast on high heat directly onto the flame. With a pair of long tongs, carefully turn your chilies so that they get charred all around. Should be about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. You can also use the broiler if you don’t have a gas stove (see introduction paragraph above) and turn over after 4 to 5 minutes as well. If you’re feeling up for it, you can also grill the poblanos on high heat to get a char on them. Once roasted, set aside to let them cool.
- When your chilies are cool enough to handle, cut in from top to bottom. This way you can completely open up the chili spread flat on the cutting board, removing the stem and seeds inside. Once done to all 5 chilies, cut them into small dice and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add your cooked chickpeas and begin to mash. I used a bean masher, but any clean object with a flat surface will work. I would stop when it looks like half of the chickpeas are smashed. That way the salad still has a bite of some whole ones in there.
- Roughly chop the picked dill and cilantro and add to the bowl. Then crumble the dried oregano to smaller flakes with your finger tips straight into the bowl. Now you can add the rest of the remaining ingredients and completely incorporate them together using a large spoon or rubber spatula.
- Once you’ve finished, pack the salad into containers and chill in the fridge before serving.