Ensalada de Garbanzo

I am working on writing my tapas recipes from our trip to Spain and I am so excited to start making them. This warmer spring-like weather is making me think of the day we sat outside in Seville with our tapas and beer. I’m pretty sure I was meant for that kind of life.

These small plates are also making me love their simplicity. While some of the tapas we had in Spain seemed pretty complex, most were mixtures of whole foods with very little preparation, or so it seemed. I loved how our tapas came out as they were done, not all at once. This gave us a chance to really enjoy each one, serve it up separately and really focus on it.

The original version of this dish had a big block of feta on the top and was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, which is really delicious, I just wanted to make it even easier and a little healthier. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad about a big block of feta, but I’m starting to notice that my feta habit is interfering with me fitting into my clothes.

Also, I like to make a few vegan dishes here and there. Plant based is where it’s at for health – hopefully I’m not the first to mention that. Beans are under-rated, but are full of nutrition. Chickpeas have folate, iron, and phosphorus, as well as soluble and insoluble fiber. Canned beans, unlike a lot of canned foods, retain their nutritional value very well. They are also a very inexpensive choice for protein.

This takes minutes, I’m not kidding – minutes, to put together, but it tastes amazing. You could also throw this together in the morning and let it marinate all day, even better. I can’t wait that long, so I eat it right away.

If you’re worried about the beans – don’t. Your body gets accustomed to beans after a while. Chickpeas are one of my favs, they are so versatile and creamy, but you could try this recipe with white beans if that’s all you have.

And for those of you stuck inside because of COVID-19, break open that can of beans, add those carrots and onions you have sitting in your fridge and impress yourself with ingenuity.

Enjoy!

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