Chick Pea Salad

This recipe was a creation of my brother-in-law. He calls it Mock Tuna Salad, but I hate anything that involves fake meat, so I go ahead and let the chick peas shine here. That being said, if you like a good tuna salad, you will love this!

I am going to tell you how I do it. My sister, who made it for me the first time, makes it totally differently. She hates pickles. She is not right. I love pickles and when I ate tuna, loved them in my tuna, so I added them. She likes raw onions in it, but I find them too over powering. Honestly, make this exactly how you might a jazzed up tuna  salad, but sub the tuna for chick peas. There are no rules here!

INGREDIENTS

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
2 T sunflower seeds, walnuts or pumpkin seeds
1-2 celery stalks chopped (I also like to include some leaves and a center stalk or two)
1 dill pickle chopped (or pickle relish works too)
1/2 tart, crisp apple chopped
2 t Dijon or other tangy mustard (plain yellow if that’s all you have)
1/4 cup mayo (vegan is fine) and/or plain Greek yogurt (I used a combination, 2 T each for this one)
1 t dried dill (fresh is great if you have it)
salt and pepper to taste

Tip: if it is too dry, I add some pickle juice or vinegar.

Other optional additions: I used shredded carrots and dried cranberries this time, raw red onion, sliced grapes, chopped pineapple, thyme, rosemary, etc.

RECIPE

Put about 1/4 of the chick peas in a bowl and give them a smash with a fork. You don’t need to puree them, just break them up. This just helps bind the salad. Add the mayo/yogurt and herbs and combine.

Add the rest of the ingredients and combine.

That’s it!

I loved this in toasted pita halves or in a wrap as shown here (top tip: heat it on a gas flame). You can put it on crackers or on slices of bread. You can also just go carb-free and eat it as is with a fork as is or on top of salad greens. It is an excellent source of fiber and protein while being vegetarian, or even vegan, and safe for people with fish allergies. Plus, your co-workers won’t silently curse you if you eat this in the office!