High Protein Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

• canned chickpeas — drained and rinsed800 g
• cherry tomatoes — halved200 g
• cucumber — diced400 g
• red pepper — finely diced150 g
• red onion — finely diced100 g
• lemon — juiced1 ea
• fresh parsley — roughly chopped80 g
• pitted kalamata olives — halved60 g
• pumpkin seeds — toasted20 g
• tahini60 g
• extra virgin olive oil30 ml
• maple syrup5 ml
• garlic cloves — minced2 ea
• ground cumin2 g
• smoked paprika1 g

Method

1. Pickle the onions Toss the sliced red onion with the lemon juice and set aside while you get on with everything else.
2. Make the dressing In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, minced garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Gradually add warm water, one tbsp at a time, whisking constantly until you get a creamy, pourable consistency.
3. Combine the salad In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, and chopped parsley.
4. Add the dressing Pour the tahini dressing over the chickpea mixture and toss thoroughly until everything is well coated. The salad should look glossy and well combined.
5. Finish and season Fold in the olives and pumpkin seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper, then taste and adjust with more lemon juice or salt as needed.
6. Rest and serve Let the salad sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Serve immediately or refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days.