Quick Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

This quick, hearty make-ahead salad is perfect for lunch on-the-go or as a fresh, flavorful last minute addition to any meal.

Disclosure: Special thanks to REBBL for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Things have been a bit hectic over here lately. And on those days, sometimes I look up at the clock and realize it’s already lunchtime. Or even past my typical lunchtime.

It can be tricky to make healthy lunch choices when I’m in the midst of all that chaos, so it’s nice to have go-to meals that I can either make ahead of time or throw together in 5 minutes or less.

Take this salad, for example. I had put it together in the morning so I’d have lunch waiting for me when I had some downtime. I was in the middle of working on a few projects with rapidly approaching deadlines, and the power went out.

The timing was rotten for me – I had less than 2 kid-free hours to try to focus and get stuff done, and there was no way of knowing how long we’d be without power. So I packed up my laptop and headed to my local diner to get some free internet access lunch and chip away at my work before heading out to pick up my son from school.

The next day was pretty hectic as well but once lunchtime rolled around, I knew I was set! I divvied out a portion of my pre-made salad, topped it with half an avocado, and sprinkled on some microgreens. For a little extra boost, I also grabbed a Cold-Brew Protein from REBBL.

I’ve talked about my fondness for REBBL before – so I was beyond thrilled to hear that they were coming out with 3 new flavors and that they had expanded their distribution to Whole Foods out in my neck of the woods here in New York. Feel free to check out their store locator to find your nearest retailer.

Just like the other varieties, these new flavors are certified organic, soy and dairy free, gluten free and made without cane sugar, carrageenan, thickeners, gums, natural flavors or agave. Their coconut milk base makes them incredibly creamy and satisfying.

The new flavor offerings are:

• Reishi Cold-Brew – a super smooth cold-brew coffee with no added sugars. It has 7 grams of coconut MCTs for energy and metabolism. Reishi mushroom is believed to help support healthy immune function and healthy aging.
• Turmeric Lemon Tart – a golden-hued sweet-yet-tart blend of turmeric root, lemon, and a touch of organic honey from wild-harvested rainforest bees. Each bottle includes 1,800MG of turmeric root, reported to support joint health, cognitive function and digestive wellness.
• Cold-Brew Protein – a powerhouse elixir that delivers 12 grams of plant-based protein from pea and sunflower. The velvety mix of cold-brew coffee and coconut milk blend together for a rockin’ afternoon pick-me-up. This one includes super herb support from maca, ashwagandha and reishi, a blend believed to enhance endurance and recovery.

My husband and I especially liked the Cold-Brew Protein paired with this salad. It really turned what looked like a light lunch into something much more satisfying than we had expected.

The avocado added a nice dose of healthy fats and a bit of creaminess to this crisp salad, while still keeping it vegan. If you were packing this salad up to bring for lunch later in the day, I’d recommend either bringing a whole avocado, or halving it in the morning when you’re packing up so it doesn’t brown too quickly.

You can squeeze a little lemon juice on it after cutting if you like, but I tend to just bring the half that has the pit still in it with me, as that trick also helps keep it green for longer.

I think some hard boiled egg or crumbled cheese would be nice topping options as well – maybe some crumbled feta. I had some microgreens from a local farm hanging out in my fridge, and they were great on top of this salad. Any type of baby lettuce you have on hand would be good for a last-minute topping here, but again, go with what you have on hand, and feel free to omit the toppings.

This salad would also be great without any of the toppers, served alongside some grilled meat or seafood. Yum!

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Want to get your hands on your own assortment of REBBL beverages, including these 3 new flavors? My friends at REBBL are giving one Big Flavors reader a sample case of 12 bottles!  To enter to win, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite make-ahead lunch. The contest will close on Friday, April 14, 2017 at 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly and contacted via email to get mailing information. Prize will be shipped by the sponsor. U.S. residents only. Good luck, everyone!

UPDATE – The winner has been selected via random.org – CONGRATS to Kristin!