Chickpea salad recipe from Lepp Farm Market

Lepp Farm Market in Abbotsford is holding a contest to win a $25 gift certificate.

Chickpea salad recipe from Lepp Farm Market

Lepp Farm Market in Abbotsford is holding a contest to win a $25 gift certificate.

To enter, find the related post on the Abbotsford News Facebook page and then comment with one ingredient and #BetterWhenShared.

Only one entry is permitted per person, but you can double your entry by sharing the contest with friends.

The contest ends at noon on Friday, Oct. 21.

Harvest Wheat Berry Chickpea Salad

Provided by Lepp Farm Market

This is the perfect autumn salad with the hearty combination of nutritious greens, grains, nuts, and fruit. It keeps well for a number of days, making it a delicious salad to pack for lunch and the jewel-toned cranberries and bright greens brighten up dinnertime. It is definitely worth taking the time to cook the dried chickpeas as the creamy texture of Grain’s Kabuli chickpeas is far superior to using a tin of pre-cooked ones.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry Grain Wheat Berries

4 cups water

2 tbsp Bragg’s apple cider vinegar

2 cups cooked Grain Kabuli Chickpeas

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup toasted slivered almonds

1 apple or Bosc pear, chopped

1 cup feta or firm goat cheese, cubed small

3 cups chopped kale (curly or lacinato)

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup John Greek white balsamic vinegar,  or white wine vinegar

(no need to add sugar if using white balsamic as it’s already naturally sweet from the aging process)

1 shallot, minced finely

1 tbsp Maison Orphee Dijon mustard

1 tbsp sugar (do not add if using white balsamic vinegar)

1 tsp salt

First put up the wheat berries to cook with 4 cups water, and the apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, and turn heat to medium high. Simmer (covered) for 45-60 minutes until round and plumping. The vinegar helps to soften the wheat so don’t skip this step. If time allows, once the wheat berries have softened during the allotted cook time, you can keep them soaking in the cooking water (with the heat turned off and the lid still on) for up to an hour, as this will continue the softening process even further.

While the wheat berries cook, combine the dressing ingredients and mix with the cooked chickpeas to marinate. Prepare the remaining ingredients and set aside.

When the wheat berries are soft, drain and rinse. Allow to cool for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, mix all of the ingredients together, tasting to adjust salt.

This salad will keep well for weekday lunches. Just store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

 

Abbotsford News