Cilantro-Lime Chickpea Summer Salad

I just love cold salads in the summer.  They're refreshing and cleansing and easy to whip up.  You can put them in a bowl and eat them with a spoon or fork at your dinner table or in the park on a blanket.  This salad was especially easy to make.  I used white corn this time and wish I had gone with yellow sweet corn -- not only would the pictures have been more fun to look at, but the sweetness of the corn would have really balanced everything else out.

This makes a ton, but thankfully it keeps well, too.  Serve this in a bowl, in a pita, or on a tortilla -- you can't go wrong any way you choose.

If you like cold salads in the summer, too, just wait -- we have a post planned with not one, but FIVE quick-to-fix summer salads coming up!

Don't you love the suspense?  At least for now you have this one to tide you over until then.

Got the recipe over here, and I'm so glad I did!

Chickpea Summer Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
serves 6-8 (makes about 12 cups)

• 1 lb corn (thawed if frozen)
• 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained**
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 red onion, diced (about a cup)
• 1/4-1/3 c olive oil **you can also sub in some of the chickpea liquid for the half the oil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, about a full cup loose
• 1/4 c lime juice
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp pepper

-- Puree (or whisk as long as you chop the cilantro very fine) the oil, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and pepper until smooth and wonderfully green!

-- Combine the remaining ingredients in the largest mixing or serving bowl you can find.

-- Pour dressing over top and stir until well incorporated.

-- Let sit for at least 15 minutes before eating, but it's best after it's had time to chill.