An Almost Everything Free Recipe: Chickpea and Arugula Salad

As many of you know along with being an Autoimmune Gal, I am an Allergy Gal as well.  I have had to drastically change my eating habits over the last five years when I was diagnosed with adult on-set food allergies. The number of foods that I am allergic to has increased steadily so just as I think that I have mastered how to eat, it seems a new food allergy diagnosis comes my way

I have started to cook all of my own meals from whole foods and wanted to share some simple recipes. I published the basics since for someone like me minimizing ingredients helps reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction. For those less constrained you might want to spice them up a bit.  My recipes are corn, tomato, tropical fruit and onion family free.  And I almost forgot to add gluten free, which is a sensitivity not a true food allergy.

This chickpea and arugula salad recipe came about because I had been looking for additional sources of healthy protein to add to my diet. I came across chickpeas (also called garbonzo beans), which are high in fiber, folate, and zinc and taste mighty good.  I found some zesty fresh arugula at the local farmer's market and thought voila -- why not make an arugula and chickpea salad

Arugula and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (canned chickpeas can be substituted)
3 1/2 cups arugula
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Directions

Rinse dried chickpeas in cold water. Cover generously with cold water and soak overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours. Rinse soaked chickpeas again.

Simmer chickpeas in approximately 6 cups of water for between 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours.  Stir occasionally and cook until tender. Chickpeas should no longer be white in the center

Let chickpeas cool. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Wash and thoroughly dry arugula (a salad spinner works perfectly).   Place chickpeas on top of arugula as shown or toss the two ingredients together if preferred.  Add other seasonings or dressing as desired.

If your food allergies allow, some ingredients that might be fun to include are tomatoes, basil, fresh lemon juice, or feta cheese.  There are so many possibilities.  I would love to hear your variation on this healthy recipe.

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