This is a very easy salad which can be served as a very healthy and satisfying main course.
I love the texture of the chickpeas but what I love even more is their pronounced nutty flavour which matches perfectly with the mild bitterness of the Swiss chard. The miso and lemon dressing gives the dish a very unique, pleasant, sweet and tangy taste. I like cooking my own chickpeas, but preparing this salad can be even quicker if you use canned ones.
Ingredients (makes 4-6 servings):
For the salad
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
green parts of 6-8 Swiss chard leaves, and 2 stems
3 tablespoons oil of your choice for stir fry
whole sea salt (to taste)
white pepper
For the dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoon brown rice miso paste
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
whole sea salt (to taste)
Salad
Wash well the chard stems and cut off any tough parts. Cut into pieces about 1-2 cm wide. Wash the Swiss chard leaves and chop them up. In a wok heat your chosen oil. Add a little bit of water, throw in the chard stems and leaves, and cook, stirring, until wilted, for a few minutes. Add the chickpeas, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Transfer the Swiss chards to a salad bowl, draining off any liquid, and let it cool while you prepare the dressing.
Dressing
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, brown rice syrup, lemon juice, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Melt the miso paste in 1 tablespoon warm water, stirring until dissolved. Add the miso to the rest of the dressing and stir well. Adjust with sea salt (if necessary).
Assembling your Swiss chard salad
To serve, divide the salad among individual plates and drizzle with the dressing. Add some more sesame seeds, for garnish.
This looks really fantastic. Some of my favorite ingredients all on one plate. I know what I’m having for dinner!
Comment by pastrystudio — February 15, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
dressing is everything in a salad, how depressing when people think they can only do a vinaigrette :(
Brava!
Comment by Roberta — February 16, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
Looks good Ali, really good. Chickpeas do go wonderful with green vegetables, not only chard but also spinach for example. There’s an Arab dish, Syrian or Iraqi I don’t know, of rice with chickpeas and spinach. I could look the recipe out for you if you want.
Comment by the Hummus guy — February 16, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
Pastrystudio- Thanks! It’s always nice to know that a recipe can be appreciated!
Ciao Roberta, I totally agree with you…there’s so much that can be done with salad dressings! Possibilities are endless, really… Grazie!
The Hummus Guy- Thank you! I’m gonna make hummus soon…what recipe should I look for?!
Comment by Ali — February 17, 2008 @ 11:14 am