I am so excited to share this recipe! It is so yummy! Chickpea salads are my go-to for quick and easy lunches during the week. I usually make a Greek variation with feta cheese, cucumber, bell pepper and tomato, but I’ve been eyeing a huge bag of pine nuts in my pantry for the past week. My immediate thought was pesto, but I knew I wanted to incorporate it into something. Since I had chickpeas on hand, I mixed the two together to come up with this creamy and delicious chickpea salad. Staying with the Italian theme, I tossed in some mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes, topped with basil and ended up with an amazing dish that’s fantastic for any time of the day.
caprese chickpea salad with basil pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- cracked black pepper and salt to taste
- 2 cans 15.5 oz garbanzo beans
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- to make the pesto, roughly chop 1 cup of fresh basil and two cloves of garlic. add basil, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan into food processor. pulse briefly, scraping the sides afterward.
- keeping the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil. feel free to add in a bit more if needed. for spreadable pesto to use on sandwiches, use about half the amount of oil.
- drain and rinse the chickpeas and place into a large mixing bowl. chop mozzarella and cherry tomatoes into small, bite-sized pieces.
- add the pesto from the food processor and incorporate evenly. top with fresh basil. serve immediately.