green goddess salad with chickpeas

Lunch

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

Ingredients

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 ½ cups buttermilk
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, sorrel, mint, parsley and/or cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup sliced cucumber
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
¼ cup diced low-fat swiss cheese
6 cherry tomatoes, halved if desired

Directions

To prepare dressing: Place avocado, buttermilk, herbs, vinegar and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth.
To prepare salad: Toss lettuce and cucumber in a bowl with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Top with chickpeas, cheese and tomatoes. (Refrigerate the extra dressing for up to 3 days.)