Now don’t go throwing out those Beet Greens after using the beet roots! The greens are so nutritious, they can be made into a healthy pesto that can be used in all types of recipes. . It is a delicious vitamin and mineral packed substitution for the usual herbs found in basic pesto.
Tuscan Style Chickpea Salad

I cooked my own chickpeas, adding on overnight soaking and cooking time, but you can use organic canned chickpeas for quicker results.
Ingredients
- 1 can organic chick peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ tbsp. homemade beet green pesto, recipe on my blog: beet root soup and beet green pesto recipe
- juice from 1 fresh lemon
- 1tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
- 1 c. sliced grape tomatoes
- ¼ c. sliced red onion
- ¼ c. sliced olives
Directions
- In a medium bowl, gently mix the chickpeas with the pesto, adding in the olive oil, salt and pepper, and fresh lemon juice.
- Add in the tomatoes, red onion, and olives, gently mixing until all is coated.
The chickpea salad by itself is a great Vegan side dish, or an appetizer. When plating, I added on dry sausage and a few arugula sprigs.
A GourmetMariChef.com exclusive recipe
4 responses to “Tuscan Style Insalata di Ceci”
Nice, I love chickpeas, especially in winter I cook them quite often 🙂
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I usually use beet greens in bakes and patties, but never made pesto with them. Love the idea. The salad looks wonderful! 🙂
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They fit in the mini processor much better if they are blanched and well drained : ) so nutritious!
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Will give it a try next time I get fresh beets. 🙂
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