Chickpea Salad Two Ways

This is my “tuna” salad replacement since going plant-based and I think I even enjoy it more than I ever enjoyed the real deal.  I’ve paired it with fresh arugula and spiralized cucumbers (below) and inside a collard green wrap (above), both equally delicious.  Since we’re doing chickpea salad two ways I’ll go ahead and let you in on a not-so-secret secret, chickpeas are not peas. I’ll repeat chickpeas are not peas….they’re beans, garbanzo beans.  If you find yourself wandering the aisles of the grocery store you’ll most likely find chickpeas next to the other legumes.  Whether dried or canned they’re most often labeled as garbanzo beans, at least in my area.

I’ll go ahead and let you in on a not-so-secret secret, chickpeas are not peas. I’ll repeat chickpeas are not peas….they’re beans, garbanzo beans.

Even though I recommend making your beans ahead of time, soaking overnight, I will admit that I use canned beans probably eighty percent of the time.  I love Kroger Simple Trust brand canned goods with non-bpa liners and USDA certified organic.  I recommend washing all of your canned beans to remove the excess starch and salt for improved flavor.  I am also picky when it comes to the dill pickles I use in this recipe too.  After search for the brand with the least amount of nasty additives I settled for Woodstock Organic Kosher Dill Pickles (also found at Kroger).