Smashed Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps
Justin Chapple features Smashed Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps in his newest cookbook, “Just Cook It!” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2018). Chapple created the salad for a vegetarian friend who wanted a version of a chicken salad.
He writes, “It’s just as satisfying as chicken salad and still offers a healthy dose of protein. Because I’m not interested in chasing down any runaway peas (and I bet you aren’t, either), I crush most of them so they hold the salad together just enough to eat it between slices of bread or in lettuce cups.”
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium celery ribs, minced
1⁄3 cup minced red onion
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup snipped fresh chives
⁄2 cup finely chopped 1 fresh parsley
12 large Bibb or iceberg lettuce leaves for serving
In a large bowl, using a potato masher or large whisk, coarsely smash most of the chickpeas (some might still be whole, which is good). Add celery, onion, mayonnaise and lemon juice and mix well. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir in chives and parsley.
Spoon chickpea salad into lettuce leaves and serve.
Note: Chickpea salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight. It’s best if you stir in the chives and parsley just before serving, but it’s no biggie if you can’t.
Vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli, winner of Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars,” shares this recipe for a flavorful salad, as pretty as it is satisfying, in her fourth cookbook, “Chloe Flavor: Saucy, Crispy, Spicy, Vegan” (Clarkson Potter, 2018, $27.99).
She writes: “I love the flavor of this protein-packed quinoa salad because it’s very fresh and subtly sweet. When I feel like I’ve overeaten or just want something a little bit cleaner, I turn to this salad for lunch because it is packed with veggies and nutrients.”
Rainbow Quinoa Salad Makes 4 servings
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon tamari
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 small carrot, shredded or finely chopped
1⁄2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled edamame
3⁄4 cup finely chopped red cabbage
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped almonds
Sea salt
Sesame seeds for garnish In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sesame oil, agave and tamari.
In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, carrot, tomatoes, edamame, cabbage, green onions, cranberries and almonds. Add desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Add salt to taste. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Note: To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free tamari.