Chick'pea & Grape Salad (vegan, gluten-free)

I have always been a big fan of Summer salads! You know, all those delicious favorites that show up at potluck gatherings. *drool*

I was thinking of titling this recipe "Chickens run wild and free salad." Since stepping on to the path of a compassionate lifestyle, I have been reworking my favorite dishes from earlier in life. This recipe is the IDEAL salad to get cruelty off the Summer salad menu, as it is packed with flavor and can easily make it's way onto the non-vegan's plate. Every year, 50 BILLION chickens are slaughtered worldwide. We, the consumers, are the only ones who can drastically reduce (and perhaps someday, eliminate) this astounding statistic.

If you are or were a fan of chicken or tuna salad, this tasty replacement is a great place to start. I have been totally vegan for just over 3 years now, and can I say…this tastes so much like chicken salad to me that I had trouble eating it at first! :)

So go ahead, give it a whirl. You will love the taste of cruelty free.

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CHICK'PEA AND GRAPE SALAD

Gluten free, can be soy free (use a soy free mayo and sour cream), vegan.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (24 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup small diced onion
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 cup grapes, sliced into quarters
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream OR plain vegan yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice

dash of paprika
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black peppercorns
sea salt to taste

Method

In a food processor, pulse chickpeas 5-8 times, until they appear coarsely chopped (be careful not to turn them into a paste or hummus-like texture).

Place pulsed chickpeas in a mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir gently to blend. Adjust salt to taste and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

√ serve on your favorite bread or wrapped in a tortilla with a crisp of lettuce
√ serve over a bed of kale, lettuce, spinach, or mixed greens
√ serve a scoop as a 'side' dish on a crisp of lettuce


© 2014 Ahimsa Kitchen and Marty Tribble | Reproduction of this post without written permission is unlawful.