This simple chickpea salad is pretty hard to beat for a nutritious, low-fat meal side dish. In under 100 calories it provides 30% Recommended Daily Allowance of folic acid, 20% RDA of Vitamin C and 10% RDA of fibre. Try it with some grilled lamb.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: none

Serves: 2 people

Energy: 80 calories per serving

Equipment:
Large mixing bowl
2 small mixing bowls
Zester
Juicer
Sharp vegetable knife
Serving plate

Ingredients:
1 tin (454g) chickpeas
1 small red onion
Flat leaf parsley
3-4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
30mls olive oil
1 lemon
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
Medium pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Fresh mint

Directions:
Zest and juice the lemon.

Put 4 teaspoons of the juice and 2 teaspoons of zest in a small bowl with the olive oil, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper. Whisk together.

Peel and chop the onion.

Chop the parsley.

Put onion into a large bowl with the chickpeas and a handful of parsley.

Pour over the dressing and mix well.

Tip the spinach leaves onto a serving plate and tip the chickpea salad onto the leaves.

Chop up some fresh mint and sprinkle over the salad.

Serve.