Curried Broccoli Chickpea Salad (Vegan)

Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 generous servings

What a treat this was!  This salad was absolutely delicious and good enough for company.  It's easy to make and tastes great after it has a while for the flavors to meld, and that means it's perfect for food prep day.  As you can see in the photo, I served the salad over some greens.  I actually forgot to put in the chickpeas, so I served it along side some Trader Joe's Giant Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce.  In my defense, we had spent the afternoon working on taxes and so my brain was a bit frazzled.  Ha!

For the salad:

1 head of broccoli, very finely chopped*

1 cup shredded carrots (about 3 small carrots or 2 large)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup toasted* sliced almonds (can also use chopped roasted almonds)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 bunch green onions, chopped OR 1/2 red/purple onion, minced

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 large lemon, juiced

3-5 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing (I used 4 Tablespoons.)

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

½ Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, add finely chopped broccoli, chickpeas, carrot, cranberries, green onion, and cilantro. Set aside.

Make the dressing by whisking together the following ingredients in a small bowl: tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, maple syrup, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper. Immediately drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle almonds on top and toss a few more times.

Serve immediately with fresh squeeze of lemon or place in the fridge for later. Salad will keep well up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes:

*I blanched the broccoli putting it in boiling salted water for 2 minutes and then plunging it in ice water.  I drained the broccoli and patted it dry (so the dressing would stick) and then proceeded with the recipe.  I find blanching broccoli takes any bitterness away.  It also brightens the green which is quite appealing to me.

*If you are making this for a party with several other dishes, it will most likely serve 6 rather than 4 people.

*To toast almonds: Add sliced almonds to a pan and place over medium heat. Use a spatula to stir the almonds; stirring every 30 seconds or so until they are nice and golden brown, about 5 minutes total time. If pan begins to smoke, make sure to reduce the heat to prevent burning.

Nutrition Information: (1 of 4 servings)

Calories 434; Calories from Fat 159; Fat 17.7g; ; Carbohydrates 56.4g; Fiber 14.9g; Sugar 15.6g; Protein 15.8g