Spinach Chickpea salad
This anti-inflammatory & mouth-watering lemony spinach chickpea salad is packed with golden raisins, fresh greens, pistachios, avocado and everything you should be eating right now.
Why this salad is so special?
Spinach Chickpea salad has an explosion of unusual ingredients that work perfectly together.
This salad is packed with antioxidant rich ingredients like spinach, avocado and nuts.
The dressing is just 5 simple ingredients- olive oil, dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
Plump large pearl couscous means this salad fills you up like a hearty meal.
It’s a great make ahead salad. Just toss everything together just before serving.
Only 8 ingredients need to be bought fresh- they rest are pantry staples like canned chickpeas or frozen items like peas
Ingredients in Spinach Chickpea Salad:
- Fresh produce items:
- feta cheese
- lemon
- baby spinach & arugula
- avocado
- fresh mint
- pomegranate arils-optional
- shallots
- frozen peas
- Pantry Items:
- golden raisins
- large pearl couscous
- chickpeas
- pistachios
- dijon mustard
- olive oil
- sherry vinegar
- garlic salt, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes
This Lemony nutrient rich couscous salad is packed full of healthy, filling goodness. Even the most picky eater will have a hard time not loving this dish. It has three kinds of greens: baby arugula, baby spinach and mint. It has pickled shallots for sour notes, roasted chickpeas and pistachios for crunch, golden raisins for sweetness, couscous to fill you up, feta for tang and pomegranates and avocado just because they are so yummy. That is a lot of stuff packed into one salad.
Tips for a successful recipe:
1. Toast your couscous in a bit of olive oil before cooking in water.
2. Be sure to fluff couscous with a fork after cooking.
3. Watch your chick peas. They can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in just a minute or two.
4. Lower carb recipe: substitute broccoli (3.95 net carbs per cup cooked) for the peas and quinoa (34 net carbs per cup cooked) for the couscous.
5. A squeeze of lemon juice added to the avocado will prevent browning.
6. Use imported Greek whole block Feta cheese instead of pre-crumbled. It has a much tangier flavor.
Equipment needed for Spinach Chickpea Salad:
- rimmed baking sheet
- parchment paper
- small saucepan
- medium sauce pan
- large salad bowl
Common Questions:
It is a vegan-friendly recipe. To make Dairy-free, just omit the feta cheese.
Substitute the couscous for quinoa OR add roasted chicken or shrimp.
To maximize the storage, place everything in an airtight container in the fridge. The avocado will brown fairly quickly, so you may want to store them sparely in a glass container filled with water once they have been peeled. Consider storing the couscous separately if possible.
The salad will last 2-3 days in fridge but the greens may wilt a bit.
Yes, be sure to slice the onion very thinly.
Substitute whole grain rice in place of the large pearl couscous
Use citrus slices or apple slices instead of pomegranates.
Try roasted almonds in place of the pistachios.
Omit the pricey sheep’s milk Feta and give Halloumi a try.
Other salad recipes to try:
- Dairy-Free No-Mayo Tuna Salad
- Farmer’s Market Salad with Vinaigrette Recipe
- Blueberry Broccoli Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing
- Avocado Egg Salad
- Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Greek salad
More tips for the best salad:
This recipe is based off two of my favorites salads: ATK’s Israeli Couscous salad and the Tavern Salad at Osprey Tavern here in Orlando. I combined my favorite elements of both and then threw in things I love. To make it truly my own, I sweetened the dressing by adding a touch of maple syrup, roasted the chick peas, added pomegranates, raisins and avocado. I also combined warm couscous with the dressing and then tossed in the salad. Many comments about the ATK salad are the next day the greens are wilted. Dressing the couscous soaks up most of the dressing so the salad stays in pretty good shape for lunch on day 2.
Ingredients
- 15 oz chickpeas canned. Drained, rinsed, patted dry
- 6 TBSP olive oil divided
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ⅓ cup sherry vinegar
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 3 unit small shallots outer shell peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 unit large juice of one lemon
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup couscous large pearl,
- 3 cups baby arugula washed and dried
- 3 cups baby spinach washed and dried
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves washed and patted dry
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- ½ cup roasted and salted shelled pistachios
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 4 oz feta crumbled
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- 1 unit large avocado ripe, pitted, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine chick peas with 2 TBSP olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Spread chick peas onto the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until dark golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.
- In a small sauce pan combine sherry vinegar with sugar. Cook on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Add in shallots and cook for 1 minute on low. Remove from heat and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes. Drain liquid and set shallots aside.
- Prepare couscous by toasting it in 1 TBSP of olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Stir constantly to prevent sticking. Add in water according to instructions on box. Cook 8-10 minutes until couscous is plump and tender. Fluff couscous with a fork- do not use a spoon.
- In a large salad bowl, combine with a whisk 3 TBSP olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and pepper flakes. Gently stir in warm couscous and toss until combined.
- Add to couscous, spinach and arugula and mint, shallots, chick peas, raisins, thawed peas, pistachios and toss. Gently top with pomegranate arils, avocado and crumbled feta and serve. Serves 4-6.
