Noor’s Rainbow Chickpea Salad Recipe

by Noor H. Salem

 In my last post, we covered the importance of eating a rainbow, from nature that is.

My Rainbow Chickpea Salad isn’t only pleasing to the eye, but also extremely beneficial to your physical and mental health. It is loaded with protein, dietary fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory benefits, and life-depending vitamins and minerals. Best of all, it’s tasty, and quite presentable to serve at your next dinner party. The salad is deliciously paired with a homemade tahini garlic dressing, which is loaded with protein, folate, dietary fiber, and nature’s anti-bacterial properties due to the garlic and onion addition.

Try this colorful salad, and feel free to add in roasted cashews or pine nuts for an eye-pleasing garnish, as well as a notable nutritional boost.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups organic spring mix (kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, arugula, etc.)
• 2 cups organic chickpeas, cooked in avocado oil, rosemary, and ginger
• 1 ½ cups shredded beets
• 3 cups cauliflower florets
• 5 large carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons cold-pressed avocado oil

Spices for cauliflower/carrots:
Incorporate in a small bowl

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne)

Tahini Garlic Dressing:

• ½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1/8 cup water, cold
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
• Tablespoon parsley (garnish)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the cauliflower florets and carrot slices on a baking sheet; drizzle with avocado oil, cayenne, garlic, and salt. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, place the spring greens in a serving platter. Neatly, top one corner with the chickpeas. Place the shredded beets alongside the chickpeas. Once the cauliflower and carrots are cooked, set them over the bed of greens, divided. Place the parsley in the center of the dish.
3. In a small mixing bowl, mix the tahini and lemon juice. Add water. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients. Top with fresh parsley. Serve with the salad. Enjoy.

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.