Having been a vegetarian my whole life, I’ve gotten my fair share of, “So… what do you eat? Lettuce?” (I generally want to respond with, “What do you eat? Flesh?” I am nothing if not terrifically mature.)
As much as I like vegetables, I’m not an enormous salad fan, especially for meals. I just think there are a million other tastier and heartier ways of preparing vegetables. Because of that, I very rarely make salads as the main course for dinner.
That said, this salad is everything a dinner salad should be. Hearty yet light, tasty and nutritious. And uses up a whole bunch of CSA greens that are spilling out of my refrigerator. It’s especially fantastic when you have leftover rice and hard-boiled eggs ready, so that dinner can be on the table in 15 minutes. That’s the kind of salad I don’t mind for a meal.
5-6 cups greens, thinly sliced (spinach, chard, mustard greens, or even a heartier lettuce are all good choices)
2 cups cooked chickpeas
5 T olive oil, divided
Cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste
1 cup brown rice, cooked (great to use up leftovers!)
3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 oz cheddar, cubed
1. Heat 2 T oil in heavy pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Cook chickpeas until slightly crispy and add spices to taste.
2. Heat 2 T oil in pan over low heat and cook onions until very soft and sweet.
3. Heat 1 T oil in large pan. Place greens in pan in batches and cook until slightly warm and wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Serve.
I assume that is white cheddar in there? I have to try this!