a warm salad of roasted turmeric-chili chickpeas + pear / by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

after being in europe for 10 days it feels so good to be home.  i have to admit i'm not the best traveller, and by day 8 or 9 i was ready to be back in our little apartment.  i was also super antsy to get back to my equally little kitchen and make some home cooked meals.   the food in europe was delicious and wonderful!  but i'm person who prepares lunch each day to take to work, so after 10 days of relying on others to nourish my bod i was pretty close to cooked - like, stick a fork in me.  the past few days i've been consumed with eating all the veggies i can get my hands on.  i was all over laura's recent raw salad, as well as a variation of this salad, only i seasoned and roasted the veggies and cut out the dressing.   i loved that both salads/meals were large enough that i was able to enjoy them for a few days.  veggies for the win!  i also can't wait to make molly's spatzle, and this beautiful harvest salad!

whenever i think of fall and winter rarely do i dream up of salad or get excited by them, more often than not i am dreaming of hot, hearty soups.  in my stubborn mind salads are reserved for spring and summer when certain vegetables are at their height, and a cool, refreshing salad is what is needed to replenish a hungry soul.  i guess this salad seeks to bridge the gap between warm weather salad and cold weather soup.  the warm, spiced chickpeas lend a cozy feeling to the salad, one that reminds me of a hot cozy soup; just what i needed after a long day of travel accompanied by some major jet lag!  i've made this salad with canned beans and with dried, both work well, but the dried, soaked, and cooked method always does the beans more justice.  here's to cozy salads on a chilled day :)

a warm salad of roasted turmeric-chili chickpeas + pear | gluten free + vegan

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained (or 1 can organic chickpeas drained)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • about 2 cups lettuce of choice, i used some pretty mesclun that i picked up at the farmers' market
  • 1 cup kale, de-ribbed and torn into pieces
  • 2 ripe pears, sliced thin
  • 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, sunflower seeds etc.

shallot dressing - adapted from 101 Cookbooks

| makes 2/3 cup | 

  • 1/4 cup finely minced shallots
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

instructions

  • preheat oven to 400°. line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
  • in a medium sized bowl, combine the soaked chickpeas with the oil, turmeric, chili powder and salt; stir to combine.  place chickpeas in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes - until they're crisp and slightly browned.  remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes

make the dressing

  • on a cutting board, sprinkle the minced shallots with the salt and smash through the pile until you have a shallot-y paste.  transfer to a bowl and add cider vinegar and honey.  mix and set aside for about 10 minutes.  slowly add the olive oil to mixture, whisking into an emulsion.  taste and adjust to your liking.  refrigerate until using (the longer you let the dressing sit, the better the flavor will become.)

assemble the salad

  • *assemble the salad while the chickpeas are roasting so you can toss them into the salad while they're still hot!  
  • in a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce and kale; add about 2-3 tablespoons of the shallot dressing (or more depending on what you prefer).  toss to coat
  • serve lettuce/kale mixture in individual bowl, and top with sliced pear, avocado, roasted chickpeas and seeds.  drizzle with more dressing and serve.  (i like to serve it individually because when tossed in a large bowl most everything falls to the bottom) 

enjoy!