Avocado & Chickpea Salad Pita with Cilantro & Lime

I don't know about you, but I practically live on Pinterest these days. DIY projects I'll never get around to, decorating ideas for my future mansion, fashion I could definitely wear if I just lost a few pounds, you name it! I mean, have you seen my Pinterest boards?? I'm pretty sure I'm a pin hoarder at this point...I might need an intervention. My favorite thing, though, is perusing all of the delicious looking recipes out there (these, at least, are within my grasp!). There are so many vegetarian and vegan recipes to try out, and lots of recipes that seem like they could easily be adapted to fit a vegetarian lifestyle. It definitely sets the wheels turning on Sunday afternoons when I'm planning out my meals for the rest of the week, especially when I feel like I've been stuck in a food rut...which is pretty much always.

One thing I've noticed a ton of in my searches lately is garbanzo bean salads. There are so many different kinds out there! And you can make them with just about anything your heart desires, which makes them great for last minute dinners or lunches when you're trying to figure out what the heck to do with the random ingredients in your fridge. I decided to throw in some of my favorite ingredients, like avocado, tomato, lime (I'm addicted to limes right now), and cilantro and came up with this yummy version, which I promptly stuffed into a whole wheat pita. This is a super versatile recipe and you could really add anything you like and have it turn out great. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Getting Started

Start by rinsing and draining your garbanzo beans. I go with the organic brand if possible, because I think it has a better flavor, but go with your particular preference. Then simply chop and measure out your ingredients, toss them all together in a large bowl, and stuff into your favorite, lightly toasted pita with the rest of your favorite garnishes. I told you it was easy!

Just a note: my avocado was a little firmer, so I mixed it with the garbanzo beans for a bit to soften it up before adding everything else. I also ended up with a really dry lime, so I added the juice from the whole thing, plus a little more from a juicier one. The best thing to do is taste as you go. One trick with getting more juice out of your limes is to roll it on the counter under your palm a bit before cutting it open.

Wrapping it Up

So that's it! It was really easy and took hardly any time at all. We loved it for dinner, and it was even better the next day for leftovers. The lime juice really keeps the avocado from turning brown the next day, which is an added bonus. The only thing I would do differently next time is to use the real thing on garlic and onion (which I included in the ingredients). I was out of both and subbed onion  and garlic powder. Either way is tasty, so feel free to adapt it how you like, but you can't beat the taste of fresh ingredients!

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

15oz can organic garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 large Avocado, roughly cut into cubes

5-6 grape tomatoes, sliced or cut into quarters

1 Tbs cilantro, finely chopped

2 tsp chopped onion (yellow or white)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 tsp course salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Juice from 1/2 lime (if your lime is dry, add more)

Your favorite pita bread, lightly toasted in a toaster (be careful not to burn yourself! Lots of steam)

For Garnish:

Radishes, thinly sliced 

Extra lime wedges

Sour cream

Spring mix, or other leafy green

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