Crispy chickpea and ham salad with miso and ginger dressing

Crispy chickpea and ham salad with miso and ginger dressing. Photo / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

Miso and ginger is one of those combinations that just never fails.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste, and tastes salty and umami; a perfect match for the bright and zingy notes of fresh ginger and sweetness of maple syrup. I love this dressing — you’ll find yourself making it over and over again!

This salad also features another go-to of mine: crispy chickpeas. They’re so easy to make and add a delicious crunch to whatever you put them in; they’re also great for snacking.

Make sure you dry your chickpeas with a tea towel after rinsing, and ensure you cook them long enough so that they’re crisp throughout. If they’re getting too brown but not crunchy enough, you can turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let them dry out a bit after cooking.

Go to Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com

Crispy Chickpea & Ham Salad with Miso & Ginger Dressing

Serves 6 as a side

CRISPY CHICKPEAS

● 1x400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● ½ tsp salt

● ½ tsp ground turmeric

● ¼ tsp chilli powder

MISO & GINGER DRESSING

● 15g ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

● 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

● 2 tbsp olive oil

● 2 tbsp miso paste

● 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

● 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

● 1 tsp maple syrup

● ¼ tsp salt

SALAD

● 1 small head cos lettuce, roughly chopped

● 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

● 200g leg ham, chopped into bite-size pieces

● ½ radish, thinly sliced

● Small handful mint leaves, shredded

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200C fan bake.

2. Lay a clean tea towel over your work surface, and tip the drained chickpeas on top. Fold over the tea towel and dry the chickpeas all over.

3. Transfer to a bowl along with the olive oil, salt, turmeric, chilli and a good grind of pepper. Mix to fully coat.

4. Transfer to a large baking tray, spacing them out as much as you can. Roast for 35 minutes, until crisp throughout. Remove from oven and set aside.

5. To make the dressing, put everything in the cup of a stick blender along with 2 tbsp water and plenty of black pepper. Blend until smooth.

6. To assemble, arrange the lettuce over your serving platter. Sprinkle over the red onion and ham, and drizzle over the dressing. Scatter over the chickpeas, radish slices and mint. Serve chilled.