VEGGIE CHICKPEA SALAD – VEGAN

2 cans of chickpeas, rinse off the chickpeas and drain them
2 small green onions, chopped into small pieces
½ cucumber, sliced and halved
2 tablespoons chopped basil and cilantro (did not have fresh cilantro, so skipped it)
cherry tomatoes, halved
2 beet, thinly sliced and then steamed
8 asparagus, steamed and sliced into bite size
Add the following, if available:
Place everything on a bed of shredded lettuce
1 small handful sun-dried tomatoes
1 sweet potato, sliced and steamed
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces

Salad:
Rinse the chickpeas, and let it drip dry.
Chop green onion, or use a scissor to cut it into small pieces.
Slice cucumber and half each slice.
Chop basil and cilantro or use the scissors here as well.
Half the cherry tomatoes.
Peel the beet and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut off the hard stems of the asparagus and slice into bite size pieces and also steam to crunchy.

Should you prefer to use any of the additional ingredients, cut sun-dried tomatoes into smaller pieces.
Peel the Sweet potato and slice into thin slices and steam to slightly soft, not overly done – still need some crunch.
Cut the red and green peppers into slivers and then into 1/3’s.

You can pack layers of those ingredients you wish to use, and then toss or just leave in layers.
Place into the fridge to cool down and till ready to use.

Avocado Dressing:

½ avocado
1 spiralized zucchini
1 tablespoon Tahini paste
sea salt and pepper, to taste

I added some VOO and cider vinegar when I blended the dressing, in order to get a softer and smooth mixture. Serve with salad.

Note: Late this afternoon, when I wanted to use the left over for dinner, I added some thinly sliced steamed yam (sweet potato) and extra steamed asparagus.
As for the dressing, I added some milk to make it thinner and its perfect, more like a dressing than a spread, which I prefer.
Served with yummy single serving seed bread.
Esms’s own combination of a number of old favourites

Recipe and photo: Esme Slabs