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As we roll into the new year and everyone gears up to snap out of holiday mode, healthy eating must be front and centre on everyone’s eating agenda. As people get ready to bounce back to work and shuttle in between work calls and meetings, lunch is often taken for granted or missed due to a lack of time. It is imperative that your health is priority for overall well-being and ensuring that you eat the right kind of nutritious foods is a good way to readjust your system after a season full of indulgences.
Salads make for great light lunches and are super easy to combine and carry in your lunchbox. A well-balanced salad is the right mix of proteins, vegetables and a variety of textures. This cilantro-lime-chickpea salad is a vegan-friendly option that keeps you full for long and can be eaten straight out of the fridge. The bright green dressing is an explosion of herby, citrussy flavours that complement vegetables of all kinds and is antioxidant-rich. While the chickpeas are the star of the dish, the recipe is versatile enough for you to add any vegetables of your choice. You could also switch it up into a non-vegetarian option by adding some shredded chicken or a fried egg on top, and some cheese if you prefer a vegetarian option instead.
Recipe:
Ingredients [For the salad]:
- 1 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
- ½ red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup chopped cucumber
- ¼ cup cooked corn
Ingredients [For the dressing]:
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- 1 cup fresh coriander, with stems
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- In a food processor, add the cilantro along with the stems and the remaining ingredients of the dressing and blitz into a coarse paste. Add a bit of water if it is too thick.
- In a mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, cucumber and corn and season lightly with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Empty the contents of the food processor into the bowl and coat the vegetables evenly. Spoon into a lunchbox and allow to sit in the fridge until ready to eat.
- If you intend to eat the salad at a later time than usual, carry the dressing separately and add it to the mixed veggies just before serving.