We've admired Timothy Pakron's work for years, so we were excited to see his new cookbook, Garden Variety: Plant-Focused Recipes Inspired by My Garden. His Chickpea Avocado Salad is high on our summer salad list. Photo by Timothy Pakron.
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, drained chickpeas such as Rancho Gordo Garbanzo Beans
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 large clove garlic, smashed and chopped into a paste
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 stalk green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill pickles, diced
- 3 tablespoons Castelvetrano olives, diced
- ¼ cup roasted salted Marcona almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- ¼ cup roughly chopped parsley, fresh not dried
- ¼ cup roughly chopped dill, fresh not dried
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
- ¼ cup vegan mayo
- 1 medium avocado, ripe and cut into chunks
Serves 4
- Add the chickpeas to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then add salt, black pepper, nutritional yeast, and cayenne. Using a fork, mash half of the chickpeas, leaving the other half whole.
- Smash the garlic with the side of your kitchen knife. Sprinkle on some salt and continue to smash and chop until you are left with a paste. Transfer to bowl of chickpeas.
- To the same bowl, add celery, green onions, pickles, olives, almonds, shallot, parsley, dill, red wine vinegar, mustard, and vegan mayo. Combine and mix well.
Lastly, gently fold in the diced avocado. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. - Serve in lettuce cups for a refreshing salad, as a sandwich filling or in a wrap, or as a crostini for a party.