chickpea and tuna salad

this salad is modeled on one that I ate at The Corson Building, a lovely Seattle restaurant. They served a bean and tuna salad as part of their breakfast buffet. although I'm definitely more of a baked-goods-for-breakfast kind of gal, I appreciated the change enough to use it as an inspiration. this salad is delicious any time of year, but I especially love to make it in the dark days of February, when the rain is sheeting down, and summer seems like a dream. The tuna and chickpeas give the salad a lovely heft, and the lemony dressing add brightness.

ingredients

salad
1/2 bunch Lacinato kale (or if you prefer, use 1 1/2 cups washed spinach)
12 ounce can of garbanzo beans, rinsed
6 ounce can of tuna (the best you can find, preferably packed in oil)
1 medium shallot, very thinly sliced
salt
pepper

dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of the lemon
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper

method

1. remove the ribs from the kale. Chiffonade and rinse the leaves, set aside to dry completely. (if you use spinach, just make sure the leaves are clean and dry.)
2. rinse the garbanzo beans and let them drip dry in the strainer.
3. slice the shallot very thinly.
4. in a medium bowl, toss the kale and garbanzo beans with the shallot. season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. in a small bowl whisk the lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper and oil together. Add the parsley.
6. drain the tuna and use a fork to break it into big flakes. Add these to the kale.
7. toss the salad with the dressing and chill for 20 minutes.

This serves about 4 for lunch