As you know, I am constantly searching for recipes that are tasty, nutritious, and light at the same time! My mission is to eat healthy without too many sacrifices and always respect the seasonality of the raw materials! Obviously, another of my resolutions is not to let the food I buy expire and to create new dishes, using leftovers as much as possible! With this broccoli, chickpea, and iceberg salad, I believe I really hit the mark! It also serves as a reminder that even in winter, you can enjoy salad greens because consuming them raw brings benefits to our body. In fact, this salad has many qualities, primarily being rich in plant proteins due to the presence of chickpeas, and it is also vegan and gluten-free. Another advantage is certainly the simplicity and speed of execution, ideal for those who have little time to prepare lunch or dinner! Moreover, it is so versatile, that we can customize it with what we have in the pantry or fridge, just like I did, and consider it both a simple side dish and a main course! Indeed, the combination of legumes and seasonal vegetables such as broccoli, which you already know, are a source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant properties, creates a light, substantial, energetic, and satisfying dish! It will be the perfect lunchbox to bring to the office or to enjoy during a day trip or as a frugal meal for those who want to stay in shape without sacrificing taste!
If salads are your passion, I invite you to check out my Special Cold Salads section or take a look at these ideas that I have selected for you:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stove, Grill
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients:
- 2 bunches broccoli
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
- 2 carrots
- 1 fresh spring onion
- 8 oz cooked chickpeas
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- to taste garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste sesame seeds
- A few slices whole wheat bread (optional)
Tools:
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; buying them through my blog helps support me and my work at no extra cost to you!
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Mandolin
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Pot
- 1 Skimmer
- 1 Grill Pan
- 1 Salad Spinner
- 3 Paper Towels
- 1 Salad Bowl
- 1 Jar
Steps:
Clean the broccoli, removing less desirable parts like stalks and leaves that you can use for other preparations, then divide it into large florets, slicing them. Rinse them thoroughly under running water.
Blanch the florets in lightly salted water for 5 minutes from boiling.
Drain them very well with a skimmer and transfer them to a well-heated grill pan.
Cook for 5 minutes per side on low heat or until they are golden. Let them cool down.
Meanwhile, wash the iceberg lettuce, dry it with a salad spinner, and cut it into strips. Place the strips at the base of the salad bowl.
Rinse the precooked chickpeas under running water to remove excess salt. Drain them and gently dry them, patting them with kitchen paper towels. At this stage, many skins will come off, so I recommend removing them entirely. Transfer the chickpeas to the salad bowl with the iceberg lettuce.
Wash and prepare both the carrots and the spring onion. With the help of a mandolin, slice the carrots into ribbons and the spring onion into rings, and add them to the rest of the ingredients. Once cooled, add the grilled broccoli florets.
Now prepare the dressing: in a glass jar, combine the oil, the filtered lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, and mustard.
Season with salt and pepper, close the jar with the lid, and shake it until all the ingredients are well combined.
In the same grill pan where you grilled the broccoli, toast a few slices of bread for a few minutes per side and set aside.
Drizzle the salad with the mustard dressing, mix, and garnish with white sesame seeds and the previously toasted bread slices.
And voilà… your winter broccoli and chickpea salad is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the winter broccoli and chickpea salad in the fridge in suitable containers, preferably glass, for up to three days.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 You can replace iceberg lettuce with the heart of Romaine lettuce. For a richer version, you can add another protein source like tuna or mozzarella.
🟣 To make it a more nutritionally complete dish, instead of the toasted bread slices, you can add a portion per person of any type of grain like brown rice, basmati, black rice, farro, barley, oats, etc.
