Chickpea, Green Bean and Tuna Salad

The Husband and I are on a reduced calorie diet (a version of the 5:2 diet which I will tell you about soooon) and are eating a lot more vegetarian meals and we LOVE this salad. We have it for lunch and this is enough for 4 people (and we are big eaters).

I've adapted it to have less calories by reducing the oil as far as possible (see * note below). I've got it down to about 800calories for the lot, so 200 calories per person. Try it either way and I know you'll love it too.

*I've put stars next to these items as it's up to you how much you'd like to use. We don't like oily salads (and we're on diet...!), so I use as little oil in my dressings as possible and I use tuna in water rather than oil, but some people loathe this. I don't drain my tuna in water, but use it as part of the dressing, but again, this is your choice. If you prefer your dressing more oily (oilier? Is this a real word!?), then leave out the water and use more oil. And vice versa.

I like to use soy sauce in dressings rather than salt, but it does make a darker colour, so use salt if you prefer.

You could also skip the frying of the chickpeas step and save 1 tsp-tbsp of oil, but I think this “firms” them up and adds to the flavour of the dish.

I used the flat Judas green beans because I love them and because they are readily available at this time of the year here in Spain and Portugal, but regular green runner beans are equally good.

THE RECIPE

1 jar / tin (400g) chickpeas / garbanzo beans, drained
¼ – ½ tsp herbes d'Provence
1 tsp-tbsp veg or olive oil *
3 cloves garlic, minced or cut in slivers
500g green beans, sliced
3 big spring onions, or 1 red or yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 tin tuna, in water or oil (80g-160g) *

DRESSING:
1 - 3 tbsp olive oil *
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp-tbsp soy sauce *
Pepper
2 tbsp water *

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the drained chickpeas and the herbes d'Provence. Brown them, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the garlic just for a minute and switch off.
2. Boil the sliced green beans in salted water till done. Drain.
3. DRESSING: Mix all the ingredients together well.
4. Mix all together while still warm. NOTE: You can also let it all go cold and then mix it, no problem, but we like the salad lukewarm.

And that's it! Enjoy!