Autumn salad w/ maple carrots & crunchy spiced chickpeas

Ingredients

• 2–3 carrots, peeled & sliced into batons

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained & skins removed (yes, it's a bit of a chore, but worth it for the crunch!)

• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

• generous glug of tamari

• sweet paprika, ground cumin & garlic powder (to taste)

• 2 big handfuls of fresh crispy lettuce

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced

• fresh herbs (parsley, mint, or coriander – whatever you’ve got on hand)

Vinaigrette

enough for 2 salads

• 3 tbsp evoo

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (acv)

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 big dollop of dijon mustard

• pinch of salt & pepper

shake it all up in a jar or whisk in a bowl until emulsified.

Method

1. roast the carrots: toss carrot batons with a little evoo and maple syrup. roast in the oven at 200°C (fan) for 20–25 minutes, until tender and caramelised.

2. crunchy chickpeas:

   • after removing the chickpea skins, toss them with evoo, tamari, paprika, cumin & garlic powder.

   • air fry at 200°C for 12–15 mins, shaking halfway, until crispy and golden. (oven method works too – roast for 25–30 mins, flipping once).

3. assemble the salad: lay down a bed of fresh lettuce, top with warm maple carrots, crunchy chickpeas, creamy avocado slices, and a scattering of herbs.

4. dress & serve: drizzle generously with the vinaigrette and dive in while everything’s still warm and flavourful.