There’s a reason chickpeas are considered a superfood: They’re high in protein, chock-full of vitamins and minerals, and, most importantly, downright delicious. In this fresh and flavorful pita salad sandwich, we’ve swapped out traditional chicken for chickpeas, then mixed them with dried cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, garlic, celery and a bright, creamy lemon aioli. Curry-spiced carrot fries with scallion make a savory side. This recipe make 4 servings.
Ingredients
Chickpea Salad Sandwiches
- 2 – 14 oz cans of Garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
- ½ pound of green chard or spinach
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
- 2 Celery stalks, diced
- 1 tbsp, chopped walnuts
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (feta or vegan feta cheese)
- 4 whole Whole-wheat pita breads
Curry Carrot Fries
- 6 whole Carrots
- 3 whole Scallion
- 1 tsp Yellow curry powder
Lemon Dill Aioli
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or veganaise
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut tops off carrots and peel. Cut widthwise into pieces, about 3 inches long. Cut each
piece lengthwise into fries, about ½ inch thick. Thinly slice scallions; discard root end.
2. Place carrots in a large bowl. Drizzle with about 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil. Season
with yellow curry powder, about ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Stir to coat.
Spread carrots out in a single layer on a lightly oiled, foil-lined baking sheet (wipe out
bowl). Roast 12-14 minutes, or until carrots are fork tender, stirring halfway through.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle half of scallions over carrots. (Careful! Baking sheet is hot!) Make lemon dill aioli by stirring all the ingredients together.
3. Strain and rinse garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Roughly chop dried cranberries. Small dice celery into pieces, about ¼ inch each. Roughly chop walnuts if necessary. Mince Garlic.
4. Place chickpeas in a medium pot. Cover with about 2 inches cold water. Bring to a boil.
Cook 5-7 minutes, or until chickpeas are slightly tender, stirring occasionally. Strain chickpeas. Place chickpeas in bowl used for carrots.
5. Remove and discard any thick center stems from green chard. Roll leaves into a large
“cigar” and slice across into ribbons, about ¼ inch wide. Place chard in a medium bowl. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lightly season with salt. Massage until leaves soften.
6. Mash chickpeas with a potato masher (or fork) into a chunky mixture. Add dried
cranberries, celery, remaining half of green onions, walnuts, garlic and goat cheese. Mix with lemon dill aioli. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
7. Place whole-wheat pita breads directly on oven rack. Toast 3-4 minutes, or until
evenly browned. Transfer pitas to a cutting board. Halve pitas.
8. Divide toasted pitas between plates. Stuff pitas with chickpea salad and chard.
Serve curry-spiced carrot fries on the side. Enjoy!