Chickpea and sweet pepper salad
Built around lower-GI carbohydrate choices; this finished recipe has not been GI-tested. Portion size and cooking method still matter.
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas (600 g)
- Red pepper (300 g)
- Rocket (150 g)
- Onion (60 g)
- Parsley (15 g)
- Lemon juice (40 ml)
- Olive oil (30 ml)
- Salt and pepper
Method:
A proper lunch in a bowl
Serves 4. Allow 20 minutes. This is a generous pulse salad with plenty of crunch and a lemon dressing. The pulse weight is after cooking and draining; canned pulses work well. Use canned kidney beans, never raw or merely soaked kidney beans.
Prepare everything
Drain and rinse the pulses, then let excess water drip away. Wash the vegetables and cut them into small, even pieces, removing any tough cores or seeds. Finely chop the onion and herbs. If using leafy greens, wash, dry and tear them into manageable pieces.
Dress and rest
Whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil, a small pinch of salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Fold in the pulses, chopped vegetables, onion and herbs. Leave for 10 minutes so the dressing can settle into the pulses, then toss again.
Serve
Add any cheese or nuts listed in the ingredients just before serving. Divide between four bowls and taste for lemon and pepper. The pulses provide the main carbohydrate portion; bread is an optional extra whose portion needs considering separately. The salad itself has no measured GI value.