Whole-wheat Orzo Salad with Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans

This one has been lying in the draft since the 2nd week of December.

This is more of a freestyle salad. Add whatever rocks your boat. Mine tasted more like a Orzo Chaat as I added chaat masala to it. I had made some for myself to counter one whole week of not too healthy eating. The 6 yo was fighting a double whammy of sinus infection and the flu and I was exactly not watching what I was eating.

 

I usually buy sprouted whole-wheat elbow pasta from the whole-sale aisle of Wholefoods. But last time I was there, they were out of it! So I picked up this instead. I have been trying to incorporate one day of non-animal protein in a week - and an orzo salad with chickpeas sounded just perfect.

 

Ingredients:

• Orzo - 1 Cup
• Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans - 1 can, rinsed and washed
• Chopped/cubed/diced cucumber, onions, tomatoes
• Chaat Masala - 3/4 tsp
• Cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Couple of squeezes of lime or lemon juice
• Olive oil

 

You have to cook orzo the same way you cook your pasta. Boil it in enough water (generously salted) for 8-10 minutes till it reaches your preferred level of firmness. Use a colander to drain the excess water.

In a bowl,  toss the orzo along with the cucumber, onion and tomatoes. Season with salt & freshly cracked black pepper & Chaat Masala, drizzle a little olive oil and finish it, sprinkle the chopped cilantro and finish it off with a couple of squeezes of lime/lemon juice.

Enjoy!

Store leftovers in the fridge.