Beetroot, chickpea and arugula salad and memories of mom

I’m not someone who repeats recipes, but this salad has been made and served at Maison Scarpin three times already: it goes well with both fish and chicken, and I’ve eaten it without anything else, too – a big bowl of it was the perfect light lunch.

I remember eating tons of beetroot as a kid – mom was very concerned about healthy meals, years before it became a trend – and looking at the picture of this salad makes me think of my pink fingertips and mom by the sink, doing the dishes. Such great memories.

Beetroot, chickpea and arugula salad
adapted from Donna Hay magazine

¼ cup whole-egg mayonnaise
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
400g beetroots, cooked, peeled and quartered
100g arugula leaves

Place the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes or until warmed through. To serve, layer the arugula with the beetroot, chickpeas and mayonnaise mixture.

Serves 4 as a side dish