#header-inner {background-position: center !important; width: 100% !important;}

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Roasted Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with Lemon

Pin It
I don't have anything against salads as side dishes. In fact, they're typically my go to whenever I'm planning a meal and in need of a side dish. But sometimes it's nice to change it up, and a little Googling led me to a recipe that featured roasted zucchini with chickpeas tossed in lemon juice and olive oil. I changed things up slightly, as it seemed weird to me to toss roasted vegetables with cold chickpeas. Plus, I love the crunchy texture of roasted chickpeas
My instincts proved correct; roasting both the chickpeas and the zucchini made for a wonderful side dish--a little crunchy and nearly charred, but soft and almost sweet on the inside. The lemon olive oil mixture it was tossed it gave it an extra pop of flavor. You could also add some shaved Parmesan over the top before serving, although it was perfect as is. This is one side dish we'll be enjoying over and over again, in part because it works with so many main dishes--eat it alongside burgers or a roasted chicken or even a pasta dish!
What's your favorite non-salad side dish?

One Year Ago: Irish Coffee Gobs with Bailey's Filling (one of my FAVORITE cookies!)
Two Years Ago: Cranberry Orange Butter Granola Bars
Three Years Ago: Bookworm Cupcakes

Roasted Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with Lemon 
adapted from Huffington Post

Ingredients:
-3 medium sized zucchini, sliced 1/2-inch thick slices
-1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
-zest of 1 lemon
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with cooking spray. Toss zucchini with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and spread over the baking sheets so that they aren't overlapping. Add chickpeas to the prepared baking sheets around the zucchini.
2. Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 3 tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. 
3. In a large bowl, toss lemon dressing with zucchini and chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and serve.