When the thermometer is in the 90’s and creeping to 100, you want to avoid the oven and stove at dinner.  Here is a tasty and nutritious summer salad sure to please!

Our son Jacob is into eating healthy, so I googled chickpea heathy facts for this recipe.  You will be happy to know that according to The World’s Healthiest Foods,
“Garbanzo beans are an excellent source of molybdenum and manganese. They are also a very good source of folate and copper, as well as a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, protein, iron, and zinc.” Mix those nutrients with some tasty veggies and seasonings, and you have a fresh, delicious dinner!

I have so many people to thank for this recipe!  Thank you to FISHLOVE who posted the original recipe on allrecipes.com.  Thank you to my co-Grandma Dana who made this for our daughter Kallie on the birth of our granddaughter.  And thank you to my friend Elsbeth who loved it when I made it for her when her new baby Eli was born.  Try this for your next supper on a hot day…

Ingredients:
2 (19 oz) cans garbonzo beans drained and rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 mini red pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup mayo or dairy-free yogurt
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dry dill weed
salt and pepper
fresh spinach leaves or pocket bread

Putting it together:
Put chickpeas (garbonzo beans) in a bowl and mash slightly with a fork.  Add veggies, mayo, lemon juice and seasonings. Cover and chill in frig until ready to eat. Serve in pita pocket bread or on a bed of fresh spinach (my gluten-free favorite), with a side of fresh fruit and a tall glass of lemonade or ice tea.  Your summer evening is set!

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12 (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.