BBQ Chickpea Ranch Salad

By Crissie Mergogey

Ingredients:

For BBQ chickpeas

• 1 cup chickpeas
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce

For the low-fat ranch dressing

• 1 cup tofu (soft, but not silken)
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp maple or agave syrup
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp minced fresh dill

For Salad

• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1/3 cup low-fat ranch dressing recipe, or store bought ranch dressing

How to make it:

1. Preheat oven to 375^oF. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the chickpeas and the BBQ sauce, mix well. Place the chickpeas on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
3. Make the low-fat ranch dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients, except the dill, in a high speed blender or small food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a jar and stir in the dill until well combined.
4. To make the salad, mix together the lettuce, mushrooms, corn, cucumber and carrot in a large salad bowl.
5. Add the BBQ chickpeas to the salad and top with the ranch dressing or serve with dressing on the side.

Serves 4 as a side