Summer salad filled with flavour

AP:

Having salad for dinner may sound boring, but it doesn't have to be. It's easy to toss together a delicious (and nutritious!) salad that goes way beyond the lettuce-tomato-cucumber routine that becomes all too tiresome all too quickly.

For our anything-but-boring salad, we started with the base. Hold the romaine and iceberg, we wanted something with a bit more interest. Not wanting to give up on greens altogether, we opted for a mixture of arugula and Swiss chard. Together, they make a fantastic combination of peppery and colourful leafy greens.

To go on the greens, we needed something zippy. Something with pizzazz. Stone fruit packs a punch of flavour and brightness.We used nectarines, but plums or peaches would work just as well.

Rounding out the salad, we added thinly sliced cucumber and celery for crispness. We really didn't want to go the crouton route, but we still wanted some crunch. Nuts are another option, but we went with roasted chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). They pack a whole lot of fibre and protein and are easy to throw together. You just coat them in olive oil, add some seasonings, and toss them in the oven.

To add just a little bit more oomph to your salad, top the whole thing off with one of the protein suggestions. Whichever you choose, you've got a flavour-packed salad that'll keep you from getting bored.

Chickpea and nectarine salad

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Servings: Four entrée-size salads

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried with paper towels

5tbs olive oil, divided

1tsp curry powder, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning blend

Salt and ground black pepper

4tbs rice vinegar

4tsp brown sugar

2tsp Dijon mustard

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

5-ounce package baby arugula

1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

3 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced

Protein suggestions:

Soft-boiled or poached eggs

Sliced cooked chicken breast

Cooked shrimp

Lightly seared and thinly sliced steak

Marinated tofu or seitan

Feta or halloumi (Greek grilling) cheese

Heat the oven to 400F.

Method

In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the seasoning of choice, then a bit of salt and black pepper, as needed. Toss well to coat evenly, then spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the remaining four tablespoons olive oil, the rice vinegar, brown sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the Swiss chard, arugula, cucumber, celery and nectarines. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss gently to coat. Divide between four serving plates. Top with the roasted chickpeas and your choice of protein.

Alison Ladman is a recipe developer for the AP. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CrustAndCrumbCo