Remember how last week I said that there would probably be one last salad post before the onslaught of Fall recipes? Well, holy crap! I’m actually posting it. I have I pretty bad reputation on here of saying I’m going to do something and then never getting around to it. Sort of like how I’ve been saying I’m going to clean my room for about two months and instead, I have cleaned every single other room in my apartment. Like, every one. And I’ve cleaned my food cabinet three times. All the while, my room becomes more and more of a chaotic pit of scrapbooking items and clean clothes. Mind you, I haven’t scrapbooked at all since Labor Day soooo, it’s just sitting there begging me to get my shit together and continue scrapbooking my Italy photos from 3 years ago!

But I haven’t. I’ve painted flowerpots and planted mums in them for the front porch.  I’ve planted herbs in mason jars and hung them on my kitchen wall. I’ve labeled every container in my cabinet. AND I have managed to post this taco salad recipe liked I promised.

Taco Salad
chickpea recipe from Undressed Skeleton

 Taco Seasoned Chickpeas:

•  1 Can Drained and Rinsed Garbanzo Beans (or about 1 ½ cups of cooked chickpeas if you are making them from dried beans)
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tsp Paprika
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• olive oil or cooking spray (I used coconut oil cooking spray)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with all the seasonings. Coat a baking sheet in olive oil or cooking spray and place chickpeas on it. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Taco Salad
Serving: 1

• 1 c. of lettuce of your choice (I used romaine)
• ¼ c. chopped tomatoes
• ¼ c. shredded carrots
• ½ c. Taco Seasoned Chickpeas
• ¼ of an avocado
• 1 serving of tortilla chips (or 2 corn tortillas, sliced and baked. Something like this would be delicious with a spritz of lime juice. )
• ¼- ½ c. all-natural, all-vegetable salsa* (I used 365 Brand Roasted Chipotle Salsa)
• Additional topping options: fajita veggies to pump up the veggies, vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, black beans, corn, etc.

Toss all the ingredients, except chips, together in a big bowl. Garnish with broken chips or keep on the side and use to scoop up your salad. Eat until you can’t eat anymore! So yummy.

*This salad follows the Rabbit Food for My Bunny Teeth food pyramid break down: There’s two servings of veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and salsa), 1 serving of protein (chickpeas), 1 serving of healthy fat (avocado) and 1 serving of grains (tortilla chips). Because I’m counting the salsa as a veggy, I made sure that there was ONLY veggies in it. Also, because I’m counting tortilla chips as a grain (kind of a stretch), I looked for all-natural and minimal ingredients. Next time I will just bake my own but I was short on time this round. Feel free to use your favorite salsa and chips.

I brought this for lunch last week. If you are doing that, keep the salsa and chips to the side. I packed my chips in a ziplock baggy and salsa in a separate container. This will prevent everything from getting super soggy by the time you eat it. It was great for lunch because it was super filling and satisfying!

Now, who wants to come clean my room for me? I can pay you in freshly baked, fall-inspired cookies!