Say HELLO to this vegan chickpea salad with broccoli and brussels sprouts and see how they come together beautifully to make an unforgettable experience.
Beautiful people, meet this great 3-Ingredient Salad (I obviously meant the 3 key ingredients). This green beauty is a refreshing vegan dish that packs a punch with a zesty dressing made out of lemon and red chili flakes balanced by the smooth taste of olive oil.
With only broccoli, brussels sprouts and chickpeas this is a healthy dish, high in protein, that will keep you energized for hours. Oh yeah! And it takes less than 10 minutes of your precious time go get it done.
I can hear you saying “But I prefer something more filling”, right?! Then let me tell you what my boyfriend, a voracious protein-maniac carnivore, said about it: “Wow. This salad is so goooooood, even without meat!!!” This is from a guy that would make a T-Rex look like a puppy. And then grill it.
The fact that we basically ate this salad a few days in a row is actually saying a lot. You see, success guaranteed. :)
I know that this family “brassica oleracea” which also includes broccoli and brussels sprouts tends to shy people away from them due to its sulfur content, but not anymore if you follow a this little trick for cooking those veggies. What is it, you say? Well, just make sure you DON’T OVERCOOK THEM!
A few minutes is all it takes to lightly cook most of the veggies from this family, while maintaining their levels of vitamin C. Not to mention that you can say GOODBYE to the (ahem) gas-producing sulfur found in them.
Basically this vegan chickpea salad with brussels sprouts and broccoli is really VERY EASY to make. You could probably make it with your eyes closed, it’s that easy! Don’t try that though. :)
In case you use dried chickpeas as I did, then you need to soak them overnight and boil for about 1 hour and so. I dare to say add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic in the water too as it imparts a wonderful taste to the chickpeas.
If you’re going to use canned chickpeas, then you only need to steam the broccoli and brussels sprout for a few minutes, then throw them all together in a bowl and add the lemon dressing. I believe in eating food as close to its natural state as possible, but sometimes we are too busy or, let’s face it, just lazy. Therefore canned chickpeas can also make a good fit to this healthy salad.
As I have made this salad a few times now, I highly recommend you try it. Besides, it’s also such a great recipe to have at hand for those days when you are so not in the mood to cook.
So this broccoli, brussels sprouts and chickpeas salad is another great option for a weeknight dinner or anytime you need to throw together a quick, healthy meal with simple ingredients.
3-ingredient salad, simple preparation, quick and savory!
- - 1 medium sized head of broccoli/500 g, cut into small florets and slice the stalk
- - ½ pound (about 250 g) Brussels sprouts
- - 100 g dried chickpeas or 1 canned
- - ½ fresh lemon juice
- - 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- - 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- - 1 pinch red chili flakes
- - sea salt
- If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and boil for about 2 hours with garlic (chopped) in the water as it imparts a wonderful taste to the chickpeas. If using canned, boil them for a few minutes with garlic too which helps rid them of the excess sodium. When they are done, let them cool.
- Meanwhile, rinse out the brussels sprouts and broccoli, separate the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cut off the stem and peel off the thick skin around it. Then bring ¾ of an inch of water to boil in a medium saucepan and put an Asian bamboo steamer on top. Put the broccoli and brussels sprouts in the steamer, cover and let them steam for approximately 3 minutes.
- When done add broccoli, brussels sprouts and chickpeas together in a bowl and mix with olive oil, lemon, salt and red chili pepper.
Sharing is kind of SEXY!
Best salad ever! Thanks.
Thank you for your feedback, Marienne! I’m glad you liked it. :-) Yay!