Chickpea Fall Salad

I have something to admit to you guys. And to some of you, it will most definitely come as a shocker. Are you ready for this?? Brace yourself: I am NOT a fan of salad. That’s right. I said it.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering why in the world I would create a chickpea fall salad recipe if I hate salad, right? Well, let me tell you….this is no ordinary salad! This, THIS is heavenly!

The reality is that I was raised on super unhealthy food and had a terribly unhealthy lifestyle until about 5 years ago. Because of that, it’s taken some time for my taste buds to adjust to healthy food vs. junk food. So salad has pretty much always tasted like nothing to me. My view was always why get full on veggies when I could have “real” food? 😂 Little did I know the nutrition and amazingness I was missing out on! Once I started regularly eating salads, I was going through this calorie counting obsession (NOT good, and still very much unhealthy) where I would put these disgusting, store-bought dressings over a pitiful salad. No wonder I hated them so much!

So, when I say I’m not a fan of salad, I really mean that I’m not a fan of THAT type of salad. I’m also not a fan of a salad that tricks innocent people into thinking they’re eating healthy food when it’s filled with iceberg lettuce, fried chicken, croutons, and drenched in ranch dressing! Sorry if that’s you (laaaaav youuuuu😇). I’m here to help, dear one.

THIS chickpea fall salad, though. This one has changed me. It takes about 5 minutes to put together and has a buttery, savory flavor. The pumpkin seeds and cranberries make it taste like fall, and the chickpeas and avocado give it a fresh, crisp taste! I can honestly say that I’ve never actually craved a salad until this one. It’s a miracle, you guys.

In addition to this, I’m over here gawking at the nutritional value of this salad. 60% of your daily Vitamin A need, 30% of your daily Vitamin C, 10% Calcium and 30% Iron. YAS. Anyone else get super excited about this? Oh and side note: I used these organic canned chickpeas in this salad. I’m not typically one to use canned vegetables, but chickpeas take a little bit of prep work. If you’re looking for some that aren’t canned, these are great! Here’s the easy breezy recipe:

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe

Chickpea Fall Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 3

Calories: 422 kcal

Author: Christine McMichael

Ingredients

• 1 Avocado1 Avocado
• 3 Cups Spinach3 Cups Spinach
• 3/4 Cup Chickpeas3/4 Cup Chickpeas
• 2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Sliced Almonds2 Tbsp Sliced Almonds
• 2 Tbsp Dried Cranberries2 Tbsp Dried Cranberries
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Sea Salt/PepperSea Salt/Pepper

Instructions

• Dice the avocado and place over a bed of spinach.
• Add the chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cranberries.
• Drizzle olive oil over the salad and toss. Add the salt/pepper to taste.
• Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 422 kcal | Carbohydrates: 39.5 g | Protein: 14 g | Fat: 25.5 g | Fiber: 14.7 g

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