Buckwheat & Chickpea Pesto Salad

Buckwheat groats and Italian black chickpeas are tossed with a light basil and mint pesto, before being topped with spicy Thai chiles for a nice and spicy vegetarian meal. The basil and mint along with the spicy chiles has a flavor that I find blends very well with cold milk. The texture of the salad also is a great mix with milk.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 322 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• 1 cup buckwheat groats, rinsed
• 10 mint leaves
• 10 basil leaves
• 1 ½ cups cooked black chickpeas or regular chickpeas
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or more as needed
• 2 Thai chiles, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring the water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and rinsed buckwheat groats. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the groats have almost tripled in size, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Step 2

Lightly pound mint leaves, basil leaves, and raw cashews with a pestle in a mortar until they begin to release their own oils. Churn the pestle to create a chunky paste. Add a bit of oil if necessary. The texture should be chunky, not too smooth.

Step 3

Fluff the groats with a fork. Drain off any excess water. Transfer the buckwheat to a large salad bowl. Add the chickpeas and drizzle with a bit of oil, mixing well. Add pesto and mix well, drizzling more oil if necessary. Add the chiles and coriander. Mix well. Serve warm or cold. Best served with ice-cold milk.