Curried Chickpea Salad

This powerhouse salad is unbelievably fresh.

It’s got a bright, curry thing going on with a touch of heat and gorgeous pops of crunch and sweetness, and the insane layers of flavor and texture will amaze you. If the thought of having a salad for dinner brings up fears that you may starve, please feel free to “bulk it up” with some sort of clean protein, chunks of avocado or a good quality feta cheese.

A great make-ahead showstopper for summer potlucks.

What I love most about this salad is that:

a.) It becomes even more amazing after a day in the fridge, so it can do double duty as both dinner and  lunch the next day.

b.) The fact that there’s no cooking involved. This is pretty thrilling since things are only going to get a bit sweatier in the kitchen as summer moves forward. I know, gross, but true.

Happy Fourth of July, friends!

Curried Chickpea Salad

For the salad:
1-15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
⅓ cup finely chopped red onions
½ small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup raisins
⅓ cup dry roasted sunflower seeds

For the dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp. chutney (I use Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney)
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

Optional: Garnish with cilantro sprigs

For Dressing: combine oil, vinegar, chutney, curry powder, mustard, salt, and Tabasco in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well and let stand at room temperature for several hours for flavors to blend.

To assemble: Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add just enough dressing to coat and toss to combine (you may not need all the dressing). Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4-6