Chili Infused Chickpea Salad
This is a salad that I have not been able to stop thinking about ever since I made it this past weekend! I’ve had my whole family try it and I can’t stop talking to people about how delicious and easy it is. I’ve been looking for ways to add warming spices to my foods this winter and this Chili Infused Chickpea Salad is such a delicious and simple way of doing just that. The best thing about this recipe is that it takes no time at all, which I know is so important as everyone is so busy preparing for the holidays and the last thing you want to do is make a confusing and long recipe. The beauty of this dish is simply letting the spices warm and infuse right into the chickpeas. It’s pretty unbelievable that just by adding a few spices to chickpeas and laying it on top of spinach you have a completely new dish! While chickpeas are the perfect buttery base, the paprika and chili offer a beautiful heat, bringing another dimension to the salad. It is then topped with a little honey and splash of lemon that wraps the spicy chickpeas in a subtle sweet layer. I’ve managed to eat this delicious chickpea salad for every lunch and I find myself just snacking on the chili chickpeas throughout the day – they are just so good!
This dish is also incredibly nourishing as chickpeas offer a large dose of plant protein and fiber to your diet. Paprika is a spice widely used in Hungry that is extremely high in vitamin A and has many vitamins aiding in skin care. Since paprika is filled with iron and vitamin A it can prevent age spots by restricting the production of melanin (what makes your skin darker). The vitamin A also helps to maintain healthy skin by promoting a brighter completion – giving that health glow. I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do!
Serves: Many
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5-7 minutes
Ingredients for the Chili Infused Chickpea Salad:
- 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (more if you like it really spicy)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- salt to taste
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon honey
-1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice of apple cider vinegar
Instructions:
Simply heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted. Then add the chickpeas, paprika, salt and chili flakes to the saucepan and cook on low-medium heat until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes (mix the ingredients well). Once it’s cooked, pour the dressing on top of the chickpeas and let this sit for a few minutes to infuse with the chickpeas. Now pour the chickpeas on top of a bed of spinach and enjoy!