Chicken and Tahini Salad with Chickpeas and Asparagus

Ridiculously easy and delicious, this chicken and tahini salad is very satisfying and easy to love even by the picky eaters. Just a few basic ingredients and a delicious sauce. Perfect for when you have leftover chicken.

This chicken and tahini salad is creamy, nutritious, easy and to make, especially if you have some leftover chicken to use.

Do chickpeas have lectins?

Yes, chickpeas have lectins. However, the lectins can be removed by soaking the chickpeas overnight and then pressure cooking them. This process will remove the lectins.

The chickpeas I used are organic canned chickpeas. They are lectin-light and plant paradox friendly, as the canning process involves pressure cooking. Choose an organic brand, it’s important we eat organic beans. Plus, the organic cans are BPA-free. Eden is a good brand available in the US.

If you are in a phase where you don’t eat beans and legumes, you can skip them, and maybe add some other veggies to the mix. I can see cauliflower, raw or cooked, fitting in this story.

Also, if you prefer to make the chickpeas yourself, soak them overnight and pressure cook them for 25 minutes. This is what I usually do, and I always have some pressure-cooked frozen chickpeas ready to use. However, now we are at our summerhouse in Denmark and don’t have a pressure cooker yet, so I work with organic, canned chickpeas.

Ingredients:

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE (makes about 1/2 cup):

• 3 heaping tablespoons tahini (you can use toasted or raw)
• zest of one small organic lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
• 6 tablespoons water
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• a pinch of ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon local honey OR Yacon syrup

FOR THE SALAD:

• 1 bunch asparagus (seasoned with salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 cup shredded, cooked / leftover chicken
• 1 cup pressure-cooked chickpeas (or canned, rinsed, and drained)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon tahini dressing (or more if you want, to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (dry work too)
• juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon of each)
• Optional: add a few drops of red Tabasco or another plant paradox compliant hot sauce

How to make this salad

• Make the sauce in advance by adding all the ingredients to a blender and combine until creamy. Store the leftover sauce in a jar, for up to a week, and use for other meals.
• Roast the asparagus in the oven, for 10 minutes, at 400F (200C), with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let it cool down and chop. Alternatively, if it’s easier for you, you can steam it or sauté it in a pan, or even use it raw.
• Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a pan.
• Add all the salad ingredients to a mixing bowl. Combine, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
• Serve next to a green salad, or with lectin-free bread.

How to serve the chicken and tahini salad

My favorite way to have this salad is with some lectin-free bread and a big, green salad next to it. For bread, I like how it goes with the Sorghum Bread Rolls, but it will be perfect with Cassava Flour Tortillas too.

You can sprinkle this salad with our Za’atar seasoning blend.

If you prefer no bread, you can make Chicken Salad Salad: adding the chicken and tahini salad on top of a big bed of mixed lettuce or having the salad with romaine boats.

More chicken salad recipes

• Easy Turkey or Chicken Salad with Homemade Egg-Free Mayonnaise
• Tarragon Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Avocado Mayonnaise
• Italian Chicken Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Sea Vegetables Chicken Salad with Miracle Noodles

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Print Recipe

Chicken and Tahini Salad with Chickpeas and Asparagus

(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

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By Claudia Curici – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ridiculously easy and delicious, this chicken and tahini salad is very satisfying and easy to love even by the picky eaters. Just a few basic ingredients and a delicious sauce. Perfect for when you have leftover chicken.

Ingredients

• FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE (makes about 1/2 cup):
• 3 heaping tablespoons tahini (you can use lightly toasted or raw)
• zest of one small organic lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
• 6 tablespoons water
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• a pinch of ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon local honey OR Yacon syrup
• FOR THE SALAD:
• 1 bunch asparagus (seasoned with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 cup shredded, cooked / leftover chicken
• 1 cup pressure cooked chickpeas (or canned, rinsed and drained)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 heaping tablespoon tahini dressing (or more if you want, to taste)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (dry work too)
• juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste
• salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon of each)
• Optional: add few drops of red Tabasco or another plant paradox compliant hot sauce

Instructions

1

Make the sauce in advance by adding all the ingredients to a blender and combine until creamy. Store the leftover sauce in a jar, for up to a week, and use for other meals.

2

Roast the asparagus in the oven, for 10 minutes, at 400F (200C), with salt, pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let it cool down and chop. Alternatively, if it's easier for you, you can steam it or sauté it in a pan, or even use it raw.

3

Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a pan.

4

Add all the salad ingredients to a mixing bowl. Combine, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

5

Serve next to a green salad, or with lectin-free bread.