Spinach & Artichoke Chickpea Salad (vegan)

Servings 4
Author Caitlin Shoemaker
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a big hit with the husband.  It’s pretty quick to make using a food processor.  A friend had given us a late summer tomato and so I served this on whole wheat lavash with that tomato.  I didn’t have any scallions or pepperoncini peppers.  So, I used a shallot instead and drizzled in some lemon juice for the pepperoncini.  I think this would be even better with the pepperoncini since I like a bit more kick.  This made a great lunch and we got some greens and beans in our meal because of it.

Ingredients
3 scallions, cut into 2” segments (I used 1 large shallot.)
¼ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper to taste
¼ cup vegan mayo (I used easy-to-make Homemade Aquafaba Mayo.)
2 cups baby spinach
32 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
14 ounce can quartered artichokes, drained and rinsed
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (I used dairy-free) or 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
3-5 pepperoncini peppers, stems and seeds removed or 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Instructions
1. Mayo Base: Add the green onion, parsley, garlic, chili flakes, salt, black pepper, and mayonnaise to a food processor with an S-blade attachment. Process until finely chopped.
2. Pulse: Add the spinach, artichokes, parmesan, pepperoncini peppers (if using), and chickpeas to the food processor and pulse until chopped to your liking, scraping the sides of the
blender as necessary. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
3. You can serve it right away or store any of the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight
container for up to 5 days.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 servings) 402 calories; 20g protein; 44g carbohydrates; 18g fat (4 g sat fat); 1178mg sodium; 14mg cholesterol; 2g sugars; 16g fiber; 26mg vitamin C; 302mg calcium; 5mg iron/28% DV; over 100% DV of vitamins A and K and manganese

Green & White Bean Salad with Tuna

Recipe from Everyday Food

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Green bean season is about to end and so I wanted to enjoy them for one last hurrah by making up a salad featuring them for lunch. This low-calorie salad has 8 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein per serving.  Add this to your lunch box and include a piece of seasonal fruit and a whole-grain cracker for a very satisfying, healthful mid-day meal.

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¾ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans (or chickpeas), rinsed and drained

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

1 can (5 oz.) solid white tuna packed in water, drained and broken into pieces

¼ cup thinly sliced pepperoncini or mild banana pepper rings, drained and chopped (These are found in jars.)

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Drain and plunge into iced water to stop the cooking.  Pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add the green beans, cannellini beans (or chickpeas), onion, tuna and pepperoncini and stir to combine. 

Nutritional Information per Serving:  229 calories; 9 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat); 15 grams protein; 23 carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber

Green and Bean Salad with Tuna

Recipe from Everyday Food May 2011

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This made a great healthy lunch to put in my EasyLunchbox.  It took no time at all to make. While the water was coming to a boil, I prepped the rest of the ingredients for this salad.  Since you must blanch the green beans first, I went ahead and blanched way more than what I needed so that I would have extras for other meals.  In the photo you’ll see that I also included Cauliflower-White Bean Dip with cucumber and radish chunks for dipping and then for a treat, I added 6 Terra Spiced Sweet Potato Chips, just enough for a satisfying crunch.  

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini or garbanzo/chickpeas beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 small red onion or 1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 can (5 ounces) solid white tuna packed in water, drained and broken into pieces

1/4 cup thinly sliced pepperoncini 

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water to stop the cooking, and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add green beans, cannellini beans, onion, tuna, and pepperoncini and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Per serving:  229 calories; 9 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat); 15 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber