How to make healthy choices every day

July 3, 2012

Meatless Mondays with Martha Stewart – Roasted Red Pepper Chickpeas with Watercress

I fell in love with watercress in Turkey. The majority of my meals were made up of the fresh, peppery leaves, including breakfast. Going back to Denmark, the land of limited greens, was a sad experience; finding watercress in Copenhagen is about as easy as finding coconuts.

Now that I’m back in Canada (the land of many greens) for the summer, I’m ecstatically loading up on any foliage I see, especially watercress. Today I was craving chickpeas for lunch, and watercress seemed like the perfect bed for them to lay upon. I saturated the legumes in a rich dressing of roasted red peppers and goat cheese, which made a tangy-sweet combination that complemented the bitter leaves so well.

This salad is very simple to throw together once you make the dressing. To save time, you can purchase jarred roasted red peppers, but I encourage you to roast them yourself, as the flavor is much better.

watercress

Chickpea and Watercress Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Serves 3-4

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing
Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers
Coconut oil, for brushing
2 Tbsp chèvre (soft goat cheese)
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup or honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chickpea and Watercress Salad
Ingredients:
2 cups chickpeas
1 small red onion, diced
1 bunch watercress
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)

Directions:
1. Make the dressing: Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.
2. Slice peppers in half, remove seeds, and rub the outside with a little coconut or olive oil. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake for approximately 45 minutes, until blistered and slightly blackened.
3. Remove peppers from pan and place in an airtight container with a lid. (This allows for easy peeling, as the skin and fruit will separate.) Let cool for 10 minutes, then slide skins off.
4. In a blender or food processor, add remaining dressing ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Thin to desired consistency with olive oil or water. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Toss chickpeas with half of the dressing. Add red onion and fold to incorporate.
6. Arrange a bed of watercress on individual plates. Divide the dressed chickpeas among the plates, drizzle with extra dressing and olive oil (if desired), and adjust seasoning. Serve. (Store leftover dressing in the fridge.)

*   *   *   *   *   *

I am also thrilled to announce and extend an invitation to the very first My New Roots Potluck Picnic! If you are going to be in Ontario this summer, stop by with your favorite dish and some food-lovin’ friends. Let’s connect! Let’s celebrate! Let’s eat! It’s going to be a very special evening – hope to see you there.

Author:
Filed Under: Gluten-Free, Lunch, Main Dish, Meatless Mondays, Recipe, Salad, Spring, Summer

36 thoughts on “Meatless Mondays with Martha Stewart – Roasted Red Pepper Chickpeas with Watercress”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Find something delicious


Copyright © 2023 My New Roots
info@mynewroots.org