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Recipe Contributed By Golubka Kitchen

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Spring Vegetables With Smoky Chickpea Croutons And Avocado Aioli

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
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Ingredients

For the smoky chickpea croutons

  • 2 cups chickpeas, cooked
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, neutral-tasting
  • 1/4 sp salt, sea
  • 1 tsp paprika, smoked Spanish
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder

For the avocado aioli

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • salt, (to taste)
  • handful cilantro, (optional)
  • 1 lemon, freshly squeezed, divided
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small avocado
  • pepper, freshly ground (to taste)

For the vegetables

  • 1 bunch carrot, baby; peeled
  • 1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • salt, sea (to taste)
  • pepper, freshly ground (to taste)
  • 1 small bunch radishes
  • 1 handful chives, (optional)
  • 1 handful microgreens, (optional)

Instructions

To make the smoky chickpea croutons

  • Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper
  • Dry the chickpeas with a clean kitchen towel and remove any loose skins. Place the chickpeas on the baking tray, drizzle with the oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt, paprika and garlic powder and toss to coat once more.
  • Place the tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, then stir and roast for another 10 minutes, or until golden.

To make the avocado aioli

  • Place the crushed garlic and a large pinch of salt into a mortar, and partially crush the garlic with a pestle. Add the cilantro leaves, if using, and continue crushing the garlic and cilantro into a paste.
  • When the paste is almost done, squeeze about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the mortar and work it in with the pestle.
  • Begin to add the olive oil, slowly drizzling about 1 tablespoon in while continuing to stir, allowing the oil to emulsify. Continue to add in the rest of the oil by drizzling it in slowly while stirring until all of the oil is incorporated and emulsified.
  • Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh out into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork and mix in the rest of the lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper. Fold the avocado mash into the aioli. Taste and add more salt and chopped cilantro, if desired. Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to three days. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients but the olive oil in a blender. Slowly pour in the olive oil with the blender still running to emulsify.

To prepare the vegetables and serve

  • Arrange the asparagus and baby carrots in a multi-level bamboo steamer or a steamer basket.
  • Steam the asparagus for around 3 minutes, until just tender, and the baby carrots for around 4 minutes. Move the carrots and asparagus to a medium bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix.
  • On a large platter, arrange the steamed asparagus, carrots and radishes. Garnish with chives or microgreens. Serve with avocado aioli and chickpea croutons.
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