Smashed Chickpea Salad with Peas & Tarragon

This easy springtime spread is great smothered on bread or scooped into lettuce wraps. I suggest preparing it at least an hour before serving for the best flavor.

1½ cups cooked chickpeas (from 1 can or about ½ a cup dry beans)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shelled and blanched English peas*
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Place chickpeas in a large bowl, along with lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt. Use a potato masher or large fork to gently mash chickpeas until they are a spreadable consistency. Use a silicon spatula to fold in the peas, onion and tarragon. Taste and adjust any flavors as desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

* To blanch peas, place them in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for 40 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water. Frozen peas may also be used when fresh peas are not in season.

Turmeric-Ginger Chickpea Stew

Here's a simple, colorful main dish ready in 30 minutes! Chickpeas and the pungent flavors in this hearty stew make it a wonderful choice for springtime (kapha season in Ayurveda).

Prep time: 10m | Cook time: 20m | Serves 4

Ingredients:

½ medium onion, roughly chopped
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, quartered
½-inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and roughly chopped (optional)
Small handful of cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or use 2 cans)*
1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
 

Preparation:

Place onion, ginger, garlic, fresh turmeric (if using), cilantro and cayenne in a mini-food processor. Process until onion is finely chopped and an overall uniform texture is achieved. (You can also do this in a standard food processor, but will likely need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to get the right consistency).

In a medium-sized Dutch oven (or other heavy-bottomed pot), melt coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the onion is soft, stirring often. Stir in the turmeric and cook 1 minute more. Add chickpeas and coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Let stew cook for 10 minutes, and then add the lime juice and salt. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, and then adjust flavors as desired. Serve stew topped with additional cilantro.

* Start with about 1 cup dried chickpeas if you are cooking you own. Be sure to soak them well before cooking (reduces cook time and more importantly, aids digestion). Chickpeas can be cooked ahead of time, drained and refrigerated before using.
 

Masala Cauliflower Soup

As winter's chill begins to mellow, we move into kapha season, a time characterized by cool, moist weather. We are especially prone to feelings of sluggishness and lethargy this time of year. This soup helps to balance the energies of the season.

Prep time: 10m | Cook time: 45m | Serves 4–6

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup cashews, soaked and drained
3/4 teaspoon garam masala*
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place cauliflower and onion in a large mixing bowl and add the oil. Stir to coat vegetables with oil, then place the vegetables on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast vegetables for 20–25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned, flipping once about halfway through.

Place roasted vegetables in a medium pot, along with broth/water, cashews and garam masala. Bring soup to a boil over high heat, then simmer for about 5 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it is very smooth (or carefully puree in batches in a conventional blender). 

Return the pot to the stove over low heat. Stir in salt and cook for 5–10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat individual servings.

* Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that is full of warming spices that are perfect for the spring season. It can easily be found in many grocery stores, at Indian markets or online.

Beet, Kale and Pomegranate Salad

This salad has been a huge hit at many of my retreats this fall, and was so frequently requested that I've decided to share it here. If pomegranates are not in season, you can omit them or use dried cranberries in their place to maintain a sweet-and-sour kick.

¼ c. balsamic vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. salt
¼ c. olive oil
1 bunch curly green kale, de-ribbed and cut into thin ribbons
¼ c. walnuts, chopped coarsely
2 pounds red beets, peeled and shredded
½ c. pomegranate arils (what are commonly called seeds)

Whisk together vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly, until dressing is emulsified.

Place prepared kale in a large bowl and pour dressing over it. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it becomes noticeably softer. Let kale marinate for 20-30 minutes.

While kale marinates, toast walnuts in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 4-5 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Add beets, pomegranate arils and toasted walnuts to the kale and stir well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.