Recipe: TrainerTiff's Tabouli Salad Packs Protein

Here's a lunch option that includes an assortment of veggies and a bit of protein from an unlikely source, hemp seeds.

You can find hemp seeds at most natural food stores. Here in Arizona, I get mine from Sprout's Farmers Market. These little seeds are full of nutrients like zinc, magnesium, iron, essential fatty acids and are a complete protein source.

Chickpeas are included in this dish as well, and they add to the protein element of this recipe.

The tabouli portion of this recipe, I adapted from Kimberly Snyder's recipe and added loads of vegetables and the chickpeas. You can eat this salad all by itself as it's really filling -- and tasty too. But you can also have it as a side dish to a veggie sandwich or soup.

Check it out!

Ingredients:

1 cucumber
1 yellow squash
2 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
2 green onion stalks, chopped
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tsp minced garlic

Directions: Slice cucumber and squash into slices and then into quarters. Dice the tomatoes and chop the parsley. In a large mixing bowl, add the cucumber, squash, tomatoes, parsley, hemp seeds and chickpeas. Mix well.

In a food processor, place all the dressing ingredients in and pulse until the dressing has emulsified (about 10 seconds).

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. This salad is ready to eat but is best if you let it chill.

Enjoy!