This satisfying chickpea salad is a delicious combination of textures, from crunchy cucumbers to crumbly feta. The dill ranch dressing adds creaminess, but a tangy vinaigrette would be just as good.
Ingredients:
1 small shallot, peeled
¾ cup nonfat cottage cheese
¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons buttermilk powder (see tip)
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
¼ cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon chopped dill
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 7-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3 cups peeled, seeded and diced cucumber
2 cups halved grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
¼ cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
¼ cup diced red onion
½ cup creamy dill ranch dressing
freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
To prepare dressing: With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides. Add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined. (Makes 1 1/4 cups.)
To prepare salad: Combine chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese and onion in a medium bowl. Add dressing and pepper and toss to coat. (Refrigerate extra dressing for up to 1 week.)
