Mediterranean Garbanzo Salad

World Wednesday again! For me, Mediterranean food reminds me of three things: tomatoes, olives, and olive oil. The recipe I made today has two of those three ingredients. Can you guess which ones? Yep, this recipe has no added oil. The only small amount of oil that goes into this bean salad is what comes in the 2 Tablespoons of Italian Dressing. Today, I made Mediterranean Garbonzo Salad from Whole Foods Market. Before this recipe I had never had zucchini or yellow squash uncooked, but I have to say I prefer it this way. I find that then I use them in stir fries they become too squishy and almost rubbery on the edges. In this salad they are cut fairly thin and add a nice crunch to the recipe.

Mediterranean Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients:

12 grape tomatoes, halved

1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 small yellow squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed

10 black olives, halved

1/4 c fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 T light Italian Dressing

1 T lemon juice

ground black pepper to taste

chopped romaine lettuce

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Top servings of chopped lettuce with bean mixture. Enjoy!

Amy's notes: In my recipe I doubled the original and added more olives and tomatoes, with less lemon juice. This could be a great dish to serve as a side salad or for the main meal. My recipe will serve 4-6 people depending on serving size.

What is your favorite Mediterranean dish?  Do most Mediterranean recipes you find have a ton of olive oil?