By virtue of the fact that I have a food blog to maintain, I nearly never make the same recipe twice.
There are, of course, a few exceptions: minestrone, lasagna, eggplant and meatballs. But because I’m constantly on the lookout for new recipes to share (and because I’m easily bored in the kitchen), repeats are few and far between.
Which makes it even stranger that I’ve never shared this recipe on the blog: of all the recipes featured on here, this is the one that most commonly actually appears on my table. After all, if I’m ever at my house at lunchtime, this is what I make.
I know that there was an original version of this recipe, gleaned from somewhere on the Internet by Little Sister and me when we were doing our first Whole30 challenge. She’s the one, after all, who introduced me to the concept of roasting frozen vegetables. (My life has never been the same).
I don’t remember what the original recipe was (though I’m sure it had far more ingredients), but honestly, at this point, I’ll probably never change it. Roasted, both broccoli and chickpeas take on a deep, earthy, nuttiness that I love, for which the brightness of the tahini-lemon dressing is the perfect foil. It’s filling but not too heavy, so I can easily eat it in the middle of my workday without needing a nap afterwards. And best of all, I pretty much always have everything I need on-hand to make it.
Roasted Broccoli and Chickpea Salad (serves 2)
1 pound frozen broccoli florets
1 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon olive oil
water, as needed
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the broccoli florets on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes, or until thawed. Pour off the water on the baking sheet, and group the broccoli florets at the edge of the baking sheet. Add the chickpeas to the center. (Since the chickpeas cook more quickly than the broccoli, this will keep them from burning). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 25 minutes, or until crisp.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and season immediately with the spices.
While the vegetables are roasting, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, and olive oil. Add water by the teaspoonful to thin out the dressing, as needed. (I do this directly in the dish in which I plan to serve the salad).
Add the vegetables to the dressing and serve.