Winter Warming Asparagus Chickpeas and Beetroot Salad

This is a great winter salad that is full of  superfoods: beetroot, asparagus and chickpeas.

Ingredients

1 lb fresh asparagus

1/2 cup dried chickpeas

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large sprig rosemary

4 or 5 beetroots

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp pine nuts

Method

Soak chickpeas overnight and drain

Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Chop garlic and rosemary (leaving aside 2 small pieces of rosemary).

Trim beetroots, leaving 5 cm of stalk and roots intact.

Place beetroots on foil, sprinkle with garlic and rosemary, and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil.

Fold foil to make a packet and roast for 45 minutes or until beetroots are tender.

Remove packet from oven and set beetroots aside to cool.

Meanwhile, boil chickpeas in fresh water for 20 mnutes, then drain and set aside.

Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes, then cut spears into 5 cm pieces.

Slice onion thinly. Trim and peel beetroot and cut into bite-size pieces.

Toss chickpeas, asparagus and onion with olive oil, then add beetroot.

Place into 2 bowls, sprinkle salads with pine nuts, garnish each with a sprig of rosemary and serve.