Creamy Chickpea Salad

Nourish your gut microbiome with this simple prebiotic rich chickpea salad.

With a little crunch from the cucumber combined with the sweetness of pomegranate seeds, it’s a light but satisfying work day lunch.

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

Creamy Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tbsps Tahini
• 1 Lemon (small, juiced)
• 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps Water
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground sumac
• Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (cooked, rinsed)
• 1/2 cucumber (medium, chopped)
• 1/2 cup parsley (roughly chopped)
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, oil, water, garlic powder, sumac, salt, and pepper. Add water one tablespoon at a time to make it thinner as needed. Set aside.

2. In the same bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, parsley, and pomegranate seeds. Toss with the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between bowls and enjoy!

3. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to three days.

Health Benefits

Did you know that chickpeas are one of the best sources of a specific prebiotic fibre called galacto-oligosaccharides?

Galacto-oligosaccharides have been shown to feed a wide variety of beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus improving microbiome composition and intestinal permeability.

There also may be a gut brain connection with the intake of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS).

A study over 4 weeks with the supplementation of GOS (7.5 g per day) has been shown to have an anxiolytic affect on emotional wellbeing in highly anxious late adolescent females.