Fragrant and Refreshing Lemon Mint Salad with Garbanzo Beans
For those of you that love your leafy salads, this one is for you! Spinach, or other leafy greens–red butter lettuce, radicchio, baby romaine, or even a mix would be fantastic–combined with fresh mint and fresh basil, there are more than enough leafy greens to keep you happy.
If you are sensitive to oxalates or purines, you may want to substitute spinach with another green, like arugula, escarole, or even good old iceberg.
The combination of mint, basil and lemon gives this salad a refreshing smell and taste that can’t be beat. Don’t skip the fresh lemon zest if you can help it – you can use bottled lemon juice, but the fresh lemon zest gives the dressing that extra burst of flavor.
Ingredients:
2 large handfuls of leafy greens (your choice), chopped
1 ½ cups canned garbanzo beans, low or no sodium added
1 cucumber, diced
Red onion, diced (however much you like)
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped basil leaves
1-2 lemons, zested and juiced
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
1 cup cooked grain (quinoa, farro, etc.)
Instructions:
Cook your grain according to the package instructions if using. Allow it to cool before adding to the salad.
Pro Tip: If you know you will be using grains once or twice a week, cook a large batch at the beginning of the week and store it in preportioned containers for use in your refrigerator. For this recipe, you won’t even have to wait for it to cool.
Open your can of garbanzo beans and rinse in a colander under running water for a couple of minutes. Let drain. Chop your spinach or other leafy greens. Dice your cucumber. If it is a regular (not a hothouse) cucumber, we recommend peeling before dicing. Dice your onion. Chop your mint and basil.
Pro Tip: Stack the herb leaves on top of each other if they are large enough, roll them into a cigar shape, then slice thinly–the fancy word for this is called chiffonade.
Pour your olive oil into the bottom of a large salad bowl. Zest your lemon(s) in the bowl, then juice them in the bowl. How much juice you use is up to you! Use a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Wisk your dressing until combined in the bottom of your bowl.
Add your greens, cucumber, onion, garbanzos, herbs, grain, and feta or goat cheese to your large salad bowl. Gently toss with a pair of salad servers until evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately.
