RECIPE: CHICKPEA & MANGO SALAD
There are so many wonderful textures in this salad, fleshy fruits, crunchy nuts, firm chickpeas – it’s a taste sensation.
With red bell peppers, red onion, raisins, almonds and fresh mint. Dressed with TASTE TRAVELS Lebanon Spice Blend mixed with olive oil, vinegar and honey.
The mango and mint add the perfect fresh and zippy balance to the salad’s exotic spices.
Perfect for lunch, a light dinner or an elegant side salad. Or simply keep it on had to take to work or school!
PREP TIME: 20 min
RESTING TIME: 1 hour (or overnight)
SERVES: 4 as a main, 8 as a side
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DRESSING
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6 TBSP (90 ml) olive oil
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2 TBSP (30 ml) white wine vinegar
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2-3 tsp (10-15 ml) honey
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1 Taste of Lebanon spice blend sachet
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¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
FOR THE SALAD
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Two 400 g (14 oz) tins of chickpeas
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1 red bell pepper, chopped (stem and seeds removed)
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50 g (¼ cup) sultanas or golden raisins
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1 red onion, finely diced
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250 g fresh mango, diced
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30 g slivered or chopped almonds
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20 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
PREPARATION
1) Add olive oil, vinegar, honey, Lebanon spice blend and salt to a large bowl. Whisk well until fully blended.
2) Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the bowl with the dressing, along with the sultanas and diced red onion.
3) Mix well, cover and refrigerate for an hour (or overnight) for the onion and sultanas to soften a bit.
SERVE
Give the salad mixture a good stir, and add the mango, almonds and mint. Transfer to the table, or spoon into serving bowls.
To make it look beautiful, garnish the top with a bit of extra mint and almonds.
Recipe Credit: Jac Squire
Photo Credits: Cathy Menees
STORAGE
This salad will keep for at least a week in your fridge, as chickpeas, bell peppers and onion are quite sturdy. That said…
SERVING
...I reserve the mint, mango and almonds until I’m ready to serve, as they don’t hold up as well for more than a few days, and you really want the magic of fresh mint (vs. wilted mint) as well as the crunch of fresh almonds. That said…
…I have chucked it all together as a test. Three days later the salad was still really yummy, it just didn’t LOOK that great. That was fine for me and my family, but if you’re serving to impress, add the mango, mint and almonds that day.
PORTIONS
The mango, almonds and mint portions are guidelines for serving this to 4 people, all at one time.
If you plan to make the salad, and then just have it on hand for a bowl here and there for lunch, then just add however much mango, mint and almonds you like to your individual serving.