Curry Chickpea Salad

Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are a great kitchen staple.  They taste delicious, are high in protein and fiber, are excellent nondairy source of calcium, and they're cheap.  I love the flavor of chickpeas, and they pair very nicely with curry seasonings.  And I love curry.

I created this recipe on a whim, and LOVED it!  It's light and very delicious and combines some of my favorite flavors.  If you're a follower of the Paleo movement or don't like garbanzos, you can easily substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast for the peas/beans.  This recipe is easy to make.  It requires no cooking, so it could easily become a summer favorite.  This dish is also very versatile.  Scoop onto of a bed of lettuce for a salad, no dressing necessary.  Stuff into a whole wheat pita or wrap in a spinach tortilla.  Or do like I did and just grab a fork and dig in.

CURRY CHICKPEA SALAD

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped

4 TBS raisins

1 celery stalk, diced

1 scallion, thinly sliced

2 TBS coconut milk

1 TBS lemon juice

1 TSP curry powder

* Salt and pepper to taste*

Equally divide chickpeas into two bowls.  Mash one bowl of chickpeas with a fork.  Add almonds, raisins/grapes, celery, scallion, coconut milk, lemon juice and curry powder to mashed peas and stir well.  Add whole chickpeas, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Click this link for some interesting facts about chickpeas:  http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-Humble-Chickpea-308671.html