Meatless Monday: Creamy Dill Chickpea Salad

Blog and photo by: Angela Tucker

Are you looking for a quick and easy recipe to bring to a summer potluck, picnic or BBQ? You could have this Creamy Dill Chickpea Salad ready to go in around 10 minutes!

Many people don’t know you can use tofu as a base for creamy dressing or dip. Tofu does not have much taste on its own so it will take on the flavour of whatever you mix it with. Plus it adds protein and calcium to your dish.

This recipe is quite versatile by adjusting the flavours. Don’t like dill? Use your favourite herb or seasoning instead! You could even play around with different types of beans, such as black beans, or even lentils.

Creamy Dill Chickpea Salad

Serves: 5 
Time: 5-10 minutes 

Ingredients:

1, 300 g container of soft tofu (medium firm works as well)
2-3 cloves of garlic
5 tbsp of nutritional yeast (can be purchased in the natural foods section of many grocery stores)
2 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp dill (or more to taste)
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
2, 540 ml cans of chickpeas (use low/no added sodium if you want to reduce the salt)
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/2 a red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine the tofu, garlic, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, dill, dijon mustard, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chickpeas, peppers and celery with the blended dressing and stir well to combine.

Nutrient Info
Per 1 cup serving (1/5 of recipe)

Calories 290
Fat 7 g
Protein 21 g
Carbohydrates 38 g
Fibre 12 g
Folate 237 mcg
Vitamin C 23 mg
Calcium 169 mg
Iron 3 mg
Potassium 540 mg
Sodium 404 mg  (with low sodium canned chickpeas)

Angela Tucker is a Registered Dietitian from rural Manitoba. Angela first became vegan for compassionate reasons but soon realized other ways a vegan lifestyle and plant-based diet positively impacts the planet and health. To learn more about her philosophy on food, visit her blog PrairieSprout. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.