Mexican Sausage and Chickpea Salad
Last weekend Dawn from The Crispy Sage spoke at our Work@Health Expo and let me tell she is a true foodie.  Her knowledge about food and flavor is amazing so when she says something is good I know I have to try it.  On her site, The Crispy Sage, she made a Mexican Chipotle Sausage that is boldly spicy and reminiscent of smoky chorizo, which looked so lunchbox lovely and totally delicious.  This vegan salad is bright, refreshing, and will absolutely awaken your tongue.  It would make a perfect picnic treat or office lunch treat.
To up the nutritional content, serve a scoop of the salad over a bed of greens.  Dawn warns that this salad is deceptively filling, which is never a bad thing, except if you have a really boring meeting planed after lunch.  So a very small portion, especially when served with greens, will quickly fill you up.  It is a fiber bomb, so chew it well and savor it slowly.  Check out The Crispy Sage for more great recipes.

Mexican Chipotle Sausage and Chickpea Salad
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 min      
Cook Time: 10 min
Total Time: 20 min

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, or 425 grams of cooked chickpeas, drained
2-3 large roasted red peppers (jarred is fine)
2 links Fields of Roast Mexican Chipotle sausage (soy free)
OR
1/2 Trader Joe’s Soyrizo (gluten-free)
Large handful of parsley, chopped roughly
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 small lemon, or half of a large
A few handfuls of spinach or arugula (optional, for serving)

Instructions
1. Cut the peppers into strips and put them in a large mixing bowl with the chickpeas.
2. Set a small saute pan over medium heat with a drizzle of oil (EVOO or coconut).
3. Cut the sausage into 1/2 inch thick slices (the Trader Joe’s version tends to crumble, but this is not a problem). Saute over medium heat until just lightly crisped on both sides, roughly 5-7 minutes. Add sausage to bowl with chickpeas and peppers.
4. Make your dressing: combine the spices, EVOO, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well.
5. Add the parsley to the chickpea mixture. Pour dressing over salad. Toss to combine.
6. Put a nice handful of greens on a serving plate. Top with a scoop of the sausage-chickpea salad. Enjoy!