Recipe: Garbanzo-Berry Salad
Somewhere out there, some official version of this bean salad might exist, I don't know. This one I made up. I often like to just take what I have around and see how I can combine it to create something tasty. In the warmer months, I love to make spinach salads for lunch – I fill them with loads of goodness like beans, berries, apples, nuts, hard-cooked eggs, etc.. Two of my top favorite ingredients to incorporate are strawberries and garbanzo beans. Garbanzos are a staple I usually have on-hand, as I use them in many recipes. So one day I started throwing this together as a salad of its own, and I was in love!
This salad makes a delicious midday snack, and works well as a tasty side dish for Summertime dinners or gatherings too – and it legitimately only takes a few minutes to make. This one is definitely for those of you who like easy-peasy or need something in a pinch. And for anyone who says "I can't cook", if you can use a can opener and cut a couple things, you're good to go.
No actual cooking required.
WHAT YOU NEED
1 can (about 2 cups) garbanzo beans, a.k.a. chickpeas
1/2 cup cut fresh strawberries (about 4-5)
2 Tbsp fresh Italian flatleaf parsley finely chopped
1/4 of one fresh lemon for juice
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Drain and rinse garbanzo beans, let them drip-dry in a colander or layout on clean towel to dry off. Wash strawberries, remove leafy tops and cut into half-inch pieces. Combine beans and berries in a bowl and toss to evenly coat with lemon juice and olive oil. Add chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, and fold gently with a spatula to incorporate. Serve immediately or transfer to glass container and refrigerate. Best if consumed fresh within 3 days. Yields 2-3 servings. Recipe is easy to double, triple, etc.. to yield more servings for larger groups.
*Substitutes: You can definitely use other oils like avocado oil, sunflower oil, or sesame oil in place of the olive oil if prefer a different flavor or don't have evoo on-hand. As well, I've also substituted the garbanzos with cannellini beans (or great northern/white beans) and it is equally delicious that way too.
P.S. I forgot to take a photo of the finished product. :/ I'll try to remember next time I make it and add one in!