Hello Daily Life Family! These days, there are back-to-school articles and advertisements everywhere. For me, back-to-school time also means a return to the routine of making lunches! But that doesn’t have to stress you out. Honestly, this summer, I relaxed a little, but I intend to get back on track with simple recipes that are delicious, fast, clean, and contain few ingredients.

The apple blends well with celery and chickpea. In each bite, there’s a crunchy texture and a sweet and salty taste. Plus, the apple makes this healthy salad irresistible to even the pickiest kid in your life. Refreshing and hearty at the same time, this salad is ideal for a well-balanced lunch.

When using chickpeas, don’t forget to keep your aquafaba (the liquid in the can). I use an ice cube tray and freeze until I need it.

Whisk the aquafaba until you obtain a pure white foam worthy of real egg whites beaten in the snow. Depending on the consistency of the liquid in the can and the equipment used, it takes on average 4 to 8 minutes to obtain soft peaks and 3 to 6 minutes more to obtain firm peaks.

If you’re packing lunches for yourself or someone else, prep this salad in advance - you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: ~4

Ingredients:

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 apples, cubed
• 5-6 celery stalks, cubed
• 1 large French shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Vinaigrette:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 cups tablespoon maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Begin by preparing the vinaigrette by mixing all ingredients in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) and stirring well. Put aside.
2. Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the vinaigrette and mix well again. Serve immediately or let chill in the fridge until lunch time.

I hope you try this delicious, autumnally-flavoured salad! It’s high in protein thanks to the chickpeas and very fruity thanks to apples. Simply, healthy, and tasty. I don’t know about you, but when I look at a dish like this, full of textures and colours, it makes my mouth water! After all, we eat with our eyes, too!