Cumin Lime Chickpeas - HCG Phase 3

Every winter, after weeks of eating hearty soups and stews, I start craving something really light and fresh. I just get sick of all of the super cooked down hot food. I want bright, I want it to taste like SUNSHINE. You know what I'm sayin'?

So today I threw together this quick salad with a couple of cans of chickpeas that I had hiding in the back of my pantry. It's really fast, easy, and bursting with fresh flavor!

Lime juice can sometimes have a slightly bitter bite to it, so if you're not into that or limes just aren't available in your area, this salad would be just as delicious with lemon juice. If you want to cut the price in half, cook your own chickpeas from dry. I haven't done it but I'm sure it's just as easy as cooking any other bean... especially if you cook them in the slow cooker!

Another interesting twist to this salad would be to add a touch of honey and chopped jalapeno. Unfortunately, I didn't think of that until just now as I was typing this. Someone try it for me and let me know how it is! Thanks!




Total Recipe cost: $3.79
Servings Per Recipe: 6 (about 1/2 cup each)
Cost per serving: $0.63
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 0 min. Total: 15 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 (15 oz.) cans	chickpeas (garbanzo beans)	$2.18
1/2 medium	red onion	$0.51
1/2 bunch	cilantro	$0.39
2 cloves	garlic	$0.15
1 medium	lime	$0.25
2 Tbsp	MTC oil	$0.22
1 tsp	cumin	$0.05
1/8 tsp	cayenne pepper	$0.02
1/4 tsp	salt	$0.02
TOTAL		$3.79

STEP 1: Empty both cans of chickpeas into a colander and rinse with cool water. Let the chickpeas drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

STEP 2: Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems and then roughly chop. Dice the red onion. Place both in a large bowl.

STEP 3: Prepare the dressing by squeezing the juice from one lime into a bowl and adding the olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt. Finely mince two cloves of garlic and add them as well. Stir everything to combine. Taste and adjust salt to your liking.

STEP 4: Add the drained chickpeas and the dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir to combine and then serve! The flavor intensifies the longer it sits so, refrigerate before serving for a stronger flavor.

Step By Step Photos

I had a couple lonely cans of chickpeas in my pantry, so what better to do with them than add my favorite flavors...


Cilantro, lime, garlic, and onion! This really is my favorite combo. Anytime I need something to taste fresh and vibrant, this is what I reach for.


Rinse the chickpeas in a colander with cool water to remove all of that canned flavor. I'm sure making fresh chickpeas from dry would not only be more inexpensive but the flavor would be even more clean and fresh. Note to self: make fresh chickpeas.


Remove the leaves from the stems of the cilantro and then give them a rough chop. The leaves pull off easily so this should take no more than a minute or two.


Dice the red onion and place it in a bowl with the cilantro.


Squeeze the juice from one lime into a bowl and add the olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Mince the garlic and add that as well.


Stir it all up and now you've got a delicious cumin dressing. Give it a taste and adjust the salt and any other ingredients as you see fit.


Add the drained chickpeas and dressing to the bowl with the cilantro and onion. Stir until everything is coated in dressing and then serve!


The salad will be even more intense the next day! ...if it lasts that long!

Found on - Budget Bytes: cumin lime chickpeas $3.79 recipe / $0.63 serving

Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette

This recipe was inspired by one of my readers, who sent me a fabulous Mexican Bean Salad recipe. Thank you, Ellen! It's perfect for entertaining because it's festive and you can make it ahead of time -- in fact, you should because it gets better and better the longer it sits. I made it last weekend when we had friends over for a cookout...everyone loved it.

I'll be honest with you, this salad involves a fair amount of chopping and fussing -- nothing difficult but it does take some time to put together. Please don't let that discourage you! It makes such a large amount, you'll be eating it for days, and it's incredibly substantial -- you won't need to serve much else with it. I made it with grilled chicken and roasted sweet potato wedges.



For the beans, make life easy on yourself and use canned. You could certainly buy them dried and soak them overnight but I don't think it's worth the time or trouble here. Just be sure to rinse and drain them well.



But since you're saving time on the beans, definitely opt for fresh corn. Canned is awful and frozen won't give you the crunch you need.



Fresh lime juice is also a must. If you don't already have one, get yourself an inexpensive citrus juicer like this one from OXO...it makes life in the kitchen soo much easier.



When you make this salad, you have to wait a while for the flavors to meld together. At first, it may taste a little too acidic...but give it a few hours in the fridge and the sharpness will mellow out.



Mark my words, this salad will keep you coming back for seconds and thirds -- it's addictive -- but everything in it's so good for you, I don't think you'll mind.





Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette
Printable Recipe

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients

2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears fresh corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut off the cob
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots (you'll need one medium shallot)
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I like Colavita)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest (be sure to zest limes before juicing them)
½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
2 Hass avocados, diced

Directions

Combine all ingredients except avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. Right before serving, add avocados and mix gently, being careful not to mash avocados. Garnish with a few springs of freshly chopped cilantro if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Found on:
Black Bean Salad with Corn, Red Peppers, Avocado & Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette - Once Upon A Chef