Photo courtesy of: Jackie Akerberg

Salads are often relegated to the bottom of the list of holiday sides—but there’s no reason they should be.

This hearty and nutritious recipe from The Clean Vegan cookbook shows that a well-made and properly dressed salad can indeed be the star of the show.

Yields: 6 servings

Instructions:

1. To make the salad, place the chickpeas, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, onion and parsley in a medium glass bowl that has a lid. Using a large spoon, toss the ingredients to combine them.
2. To make the red wine vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, aquafaba, maple syrup, mustard, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and garlic powder in a blender. Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds, until the dressing is emulsified. Taste the vinaigrette and add more maple syrup, salt or black pepper if desired. Pour the dressing over the salad and use the large spoon to toss the salad with the dressing.
3. Cover the bowl with its lid and place the salad in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. Serve this salad cold on its own, alongside any main course, on a bed of greens or with rice or quinoa for a more filling dish.