An amazing plant-based, vegan-friendly, soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free Chickpea Pasta Salad recipe that makes approximately 6 servings, taking about 15 minutes to prepare, with 25 minutes for cook time and 1 hour of chill time.
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"But where do you get your protein?"
This is the number one question I get when people find out I am plant-based. Then when they find out I'm also gluten-free and soy-free, they assume I eat dirt and leaves for every meal. Surprisingly, I am not malnourished! How? Because I know how to create balanced meals, this recipe is the perfect example of a balanced meal.
Chickpeas are brimming with nutrients; one cup contains (1):
14.5 g of protein (29% DV)
12.5 g of fiber (50% DV)
70.5 mg of omega-3 fatty acids
1825 mg of omega-6 fatty acids
44.3 IU of vitamin A (1% DV)
2.1 mg of vitamin C (4% DV)
0.6 mg of vitamin E (3% DV)
6.6 mcg of vitamin K (8% DV)
0.2 mg of thiamin (13% DV)
0.1 mg of riboflavin (6% DV)
0.9 mg of niacin (4% DV)
0.2 mg of vitamin B6 (11% DV)
282 mcg of folate (71% DV)
80.5 mg Calcium (8%)
4.7 mg of iron (26%)
78.7 mg of magnesium (20%)
276 mg of phosphorus (28%)
477 mg of potassium (14%)
2.5 mg of zinc (17%)
1.7 mg of manganese (84%)
6.1 mcg of selenium (9%)
Add in the pasta, plant-based feta cheese, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and red onion; you have a nutritious, filling, and delicious meal ready to conquer all the malnutrition myths floating around the internet.
So without further ado, I introduce my Chickpea Pasta Salad recipe. I think it's safe to say you'll enjoy it as much as my family. Since I am allergic to soy and have adapted to a plant-based lifestyle (no meat or dairy), this recipe is vegan-friendly, plant-based, soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Chickpea Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Pasta Salad Dressing:
4 tbsp. plant-based mayonnaise or yogurt
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove of garlic minced
1 tbsp. garlic herb seasoning
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. pink salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. dill weed
Chickpea Preparation:
1 can of chickpeas
1 tbsp. grilling chicken seasoning
Oil of choice (for frying)
Chickpea Pasta Salad:
12 oz. gluten-free elbow pasta
8 oz plant-based feta cheese
3 mini cucumbers
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 large avocado
1/4 of a red onion
Prepared chickpeas
Pasta salad dressing
Directions:
Pasta & Dressing:
Start by boiling a pot of water for the gluten-free elbow pasta. I used Jovial's Organic Brown Rice Elbows and found they needed to be cooked for 16 minutes.
As the pasta is cooking, gather the pasta salad dressing ingredients, preferably organic: plant-based mayonnaise or yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, garlic herb seasoning, honey, smoked paprika, pink salt, black pepper, and dill weed.
After gathering the ingredients, combine them in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Set in the fridge to chill while preparing the rest of the food.
Drain and rinse with cold water when the pasta is done cooking to stop the cooking process. Feel free to put the pasta in the fridge to chill.
Frying the Chickpeas:
Gather the following ingredients, preferably organic: chickpeas, grilling chicken seasoning, and oil of choice.
After gathering the ingredients heat the oil in a frying pan at medium-high heat.
While the oil is heating up, place the chickpeas in a Ziploc bag, add one teaspoon of grilling chicken seasoning, and shake, ensuring it is coated entirely.
After seasoning your chickpeas, begin frying the chickpeas when the oil is ready. Fry for about 10 minutes to get a slightly brown color.
After frying the chickpeas, remove them from the pan and place them in the refrigerator to chill for 5-10 minutes as you prepare the fresh produce.
Final Preparations:
Gather the remaining ingredients, preferably organic: plant-based feta cheese, mini cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and red onion.
After gathering the remaining ingredients, chop them up. I did the feta cheese a little smaller than bite-sized cubes, thinly sliced the cucumbers, halved the cherry tomatoes, diced the avocado, and finely chopped the red onion.
After chopping the remaining ingredients, take a large bowl or Tupperware to combine everything. Add the chopped ingredients, chickpeas, and pasta. Add the dressing last.
After all the ingredients are added to a large bowl or Tupperware, shake to combine the dressing evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour before eating.
What's your favorite way to enjoy chickpeas?
