Avocado Salad with Chickpeas

The avocados are brilliant at the moment. True, they are plentiful and inexpensive but you just can't beat the flavour of in-season produce. Avocados alone are a good source of fibre but add in chickpeas and the nutritional value becomes even more complex.

Piment d'esplette is a variety of chili peppers that is cultivated in the French Pyrenees in the Basque region. It is only mildly hot so can be used freely. Locally it is used as we use black pepper. Substitute with freshly ground black pepper if you wish.

Avocado Salad with Chickpeas

This salad is a meal for one person. Increase amounts to serve more.

1/2 avocado, cubed
1/2 tomato, roughly chopped
1/4 c. cooked chickpeas
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. olive or camelina oil
crispy iceberg lettuce
fleur de sel
piment d'esplette

Peel and cube half an avocado into a medium sized bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over and toss gently. Add the chopped tomatoes and chickpeas. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss again.

Arrange lettuce leaves on your serving plate and carefully arrange the salad on top. Drizzle with any of the dressing that remains in the bowl. Garnish with fleur de sel and piment d'esplette and serve.