Spiced Potato and Chickpea Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing

This hearty salad has become one of my favorites to make during the work week. I've actually never been a huge fan of salads, but this has to be the one and only I truly crave!

Ingredients

(Serves 2)

- Lettuce of your choice (I like to mix romaine & iceburg lettuce with some spinach).

- 2-3 medium sized potatoes

- 1 tin of chickpeas in water (400g)

- 1 tin of sweet corn (80g)

- 1 red pepper

- 120g tempeh slices (I like to use pre-smoked tempeh)

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp smoked paprika

- 1 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/2 tsp chili flakes

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- Salt & pepper

- 6 or more cherry vine tomatoes

- 1 avocado

Dressing

(Double the ingredients if you want leftovers)

- 3 tbsp tahini

- 1 tbsp maple syrup

- Juice of 1/2 lemon

- 3-5 tablespoons of warm water (add more water if it's still too thick)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper

2. Peel the potatoes, chop into small cubes and place the chopped potatoes onto the baking tray. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and add the drained chickpeas onto the baking tray along with the potatoes. Add all of the spices to the potatoes and chickpeas: paprika, cumin, chili powder, chili flakes, salt & pepper. Add around a tablespoon oil or more if you prefer and then give it a good mix so all of the potatoes and chickpeas are fully covered in the spices. I typically use my hands! Place the backing tray in the oven for around 30 minutes, stirring half-way through.

3. In the meantime, you can start making the dressing. Start by adding the tahini in a small bowl with the maple syrup and give it a good stir. Then add in the lemon and water, adding more water to get the right consistency for you. Leave aside once everything is finished. You might need to add a bit more water once it's ready to serve as it thickens over time.

4. Now it's time to prepare the salad! In a large mixing bowl, chop and place in your lettuce along with the tin of sweetcorn. Chop 1 red pepper and the 6 (or more) cherry tomatoes and add in the bowl as well. I also like to add some extra salt, pepper and chili flakes to the salad bowl. Give it a good stir. This is also a good time to cut your avocado and leave it to the side for now.

5. Lastly, it's time to prepare your tempeh. I typically buy pre-packaged/smoked tempeh slices as it's easier to cook! I like to start off by chopping the tempeh into bite sized pieces and then add it to a pan on a medium heat with a splash of water. Let this cook for a few minutes until it's fully cooked!

6. By this time, your potatoes and chickpeas should be nice and crunchy and ready to take out of the oven. Add all of the ingredients together on your plate adding a little bit of everything and enjoy!