SOUTHWEST CHICKPEA SALAD + CREAMY AVOCADO-LIME DRESSING 

Serves 2-3

• 5 – 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
• ½ cup fresh corn off the cob, canned is ok too
• 1 chile pepper (hatch, Anaheim, or jalapeno pepper), seeds removed and sliced
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 
• tortilla strips, to serve
• a handful of pepitas, to serve
• lime wedges, to serve

Avocado-Lime Dressing

• 1 medium avocado
• ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro stems removed/parsley works too!
• juice of 1 lime                               
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder           
• salt, to taste
• ⅛ – ¼ cup water, + more as needed

Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the cilantro-lime dressing in a small blender or food processor (I used the Nutri-bullet). Blend until creamy stopping to scrape down the sides as needed every now and then, add extra water a little at a time as needed to thin. Taste for flavor adding anything extra. Pinch more salt? Pinch more cumin or squeeze of lime? Blend well.

Salad: Assemble your salad by adding the romaine lettuce to your serving dish, top with corn, red onion, chickpeas, tomatoes, cilantro. Lastly, add pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tortilla strips and a good drizzle of the dressing, and a squeeze of lime over top.

DIY tortilla strips: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Brush 2 corn tortillas lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with a chili powder mix & mineral salt. Cut into thin strips, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, bake in the oven or toaster oven, rotating once, for about 10 – 12 minutes, until crisp and golden.)