Rainbow Salad

As the weather slowly improves here in Raincouver, I find myself craving lighter meals full of fresh produce.  While looking in my fridge, I took a quick survey of all the ingredients I had on hand, and this Rainbow Spring Salad was born!  It's packed with a rainbow of fruits and veggies, protein, healthy fats, flavour, and gut-health promoting ingredients, and is the perfect blend of tangy, crunchy, and sweet.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
2 cups baby spinach
1 can chickpeas, roasted (see directions below for how to roast them)
2 heaping tbsp Habibi's Cashew Thai Chili Dip (can also use hummus)
3-4 heaping tbsp Sauerkraut (I used this recipe from Joyous Detox)
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 cup orange and yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
2 tbsp goat cheese feta (optional)
Balsamic vinegar

Chickpea directions:

For the chickpeas, I drained and rinsed them, then patted them dry.  On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, I drizzled them with olive oil and Himalayan salt (tip from The Kitchn - less olive oil = less crispy chickpeas), and then baked them in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 400 F, shuffling chickpeas around on baking sheet every 10 mins or so.  Once baked, I let them cool for 10 minutes, then transferred them to a bowl and seasoned them with ginger and cinnamon, to taste (this is important - do not season them with anything except the salt and olive oil before you have roasted them in the oven).  Stir the chickpeas around to ensure even coating of spices.

Salad assembly:

See picture above! I simply laid everything on a bed of spinach, sprinkled some goat cheese feta on top, and drizzled with Balsamic vinegar.  I love arranging my meals in colourful, aesthetically pleasing ways - it makes them more enjoyable to eat, and I really appreciate each component of the dish that much more.  Enjoy!

For this and more fabulous recipes, visit Zakiya's Kitchen