Enjoy a delicious pumpkin and chickpea salad for the cold season, especially to warm up the body and fill us with energy.
A fantastic salad with a difference that the whole family will love, even the people who tell you they don’t like chickpeas will love it. I haven’t had anyone tell me this salad isn’t great and ask for the recipe.
Chickpeas belong to the legume family, which includes a variety of beans, peanuts, soybeans, and lentils. Opting for legumes over foods high in saturated fat could lower your risk of heart disease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Chickpeas also offer specific health benefits, and consuming them regularly increases your intake of some key nutrients.
Medicinal properties of chickpeas
The high fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6 content, along with the lack of cholesterol found in chickpeas, all support heart health. Chickpeas contain significant amounts of fiber, which helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood, thus lowering the risk of heart disease. Due to their high fiber content, chickpeas help prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.
Pumpkin and chickpea salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 pumpkin cut into pieces.
- 1/2 large red onion cut into thin slices.
- 400 g of washed chickpeas.
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander.
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
- 250 g of slices of bacon.
- 1 pinch of fresh coriander *to serve.
- 1 tablespoon of sesame and soy salad dressing.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly butter a large roasting pan.
- Combine pumpkin, 2 tablespoons oil, ground coriander, and cumin in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to prepared skillet. Roast 20 minutes or until squash is tender, then let cool.
- Dice the bacon and fry until crisp.
- Combine squash, chickpeas, bacon, onion, and chopped cilantro in a large bowl.
- Lightly cover with soy sauce, sesame and ginger.
- Add fresh coriander leaves before serving.