Chickpea and Edamame Salad with Lemon and Mint

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 1/2 cup shelled cooked edamame
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, scallions
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh mint, or less
• Zest and juice of one large lemon
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Pour the chickpeas into a colander set in the sink, then rinse them under cold water until the foam is gone. Let them drain thoroughly; if they’re still looking a little damp, pat them dry with a paper towel.
2. If your edamame is frozen, microwave it for about 5 minutes. You can do this in a glass bowl covered with cling-wrap, or use the microwave-in-the-package kind.
3. Use a microplane grater, or the finest side of a regular grater, to zest the lemon, then squeeze out the juice. You’ll want at least 1 T lemon zest and 2-3 T lemon juice.
4. In a plastic or glass bowl that’s big enough for the whole salad, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
5. Stir in the drained chickpeas, making sure they get nicely coated in the dressing. Let them sit in the dressing while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
6. Once the edamame is cooked, drain it well in the same colander you used for the chickpeas. Thinly slice the green onions.
7. Wash the mint, spin it dry or pat it dry with paper towels, then finely chop enough to make 1 cup chopped mint, or less if mint is not your whole personality.
8. Add the edamame, sliced green onions, and chopped mint to the bowl with the chickpeas, and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as desired. Serve right away, or refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.
9. This still tastes great after a night in the fridge, but a little extra lemon juice will wake the flavor back up.