Chickpea Salad

We have been eating a LOT lately. Two nights ago it was pizza, and last night was extreme burger madness at our favorite burger place in Beijing, The Blue Frog. Their burgers are awesome, there are always tons of expats there, and on Monday nights the burgers are buy one get one free!! We hadn't been in about a month and a half, so I was looking forward to going last night. As we were ordering we were informed that the drinks were also buy one get one free...double score! I can't remember the name of the drink I got, but I do remember it having vodka, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Oh yeah..and the name started with an 'M'. It was a bit strong for me, but nevertheless delish (and pretty!).

And what burger did I order? I was super close to ordering the Portobello burger. It had hummus, watercress, peppers, and of course a large portobello mushroom. I thought it would be healthier, but you wanna know what I got? The mushroom. Yes..loads of mushrooms and Swiss cheese over beef. But hey..the bun was whole wheat! ;) I think next time we go though, I'll give the portobello a try, because it did look super tasty.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The thing is though, between pizza and burgers, my body was craving something light and green for lunch today. I wanted to make a chickpea salad for a few days now, and this one fit the bill perfectly. It was refreshing, crisp, and light, not to mention the vinaigrette was also wonderful. I ate about one large bowl full, and two kiwis for "dessert". After eating this salad, I’m starting to get super excited about spring, and can’t wait to eat all the fresh produce!

In a way it almost seems silly to write out a recipe for a salad, but at the same time, I would've never made this if I hadn't seen this recipe first. Therefore, try and think of this as a guideline, and get creative! My changes were using cherry tomatoes instead of Roma (they're a little sweeter..and easier to cut!), and adding cucumber. I LOVE cucumbers in salad. They're so crisp and fresh, I just adore them. If feta weren't so insanely expensive, I would've loved to have added some! In the end, I just loved this salad, and my body felt full and happy. Enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 hearts of Romaine lettuce (or one big one)

1 bunch of green onions

1 red pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

For the Dressing

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar

A dash of salt

A dash of pepper

Directions

Wash and chop the lettuce, green onions, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber. Add in the garlic and chickpeas and give it a toss.

In a small jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Give it a shake, and drizzle over the salad to lightly coat. Add freshly ground salt and pepper.

Recipe Source: adapted from Beloved Green