When I was a kid I didn’t like avocados, but my smart mother found out that stuffing arepas with “Reina Pepiada” -the traditional  Venezuelan chicken salad-  was the only way I really enjoy eating them. For me that filling was just a super creamy, tasty and perfectly yummy chicken salad!

Today, I would say that I love eating avocados, and the “Reina Pepiada” filling is one of my favorite comfort foods. Who would imagine I could love avocados as I do now? Nobody!

I created this vegan version of the Reina Pepiada for my vegan friends to enjoy this Venezuelan traditional dish too.

BTW if you are not vegan you will love it too. I promise!

Ingredients for 3 people

1 or 2 cups of fresh spinach

1 can of chickpeas

1 cup of green peas

1 ripe Hass avocado

2 tablespoon of vegan mayo

1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 tablespoon of hemp seeds

1 or 2 limes, juice

red pepper

salt and black pepper

Directions:

Cut the avocado in half. Remove seed. Dice half of the avocado and put it in a bowl with the green peas, chickpeas, and 1/2 diced avocado. Set aside.

Mash the other half of the avocado with the vegan mayo and lime juice with a fork until smooth. Stir in the cilantro.  Add the green peas, chickpeas, and avocado and mix together.Season with salt, red pepper, and  black pepper.

Your creamy chickpeas salad is ready, yummy! 

To assemble the salad: Add a generous amount of spinach into a large bowl or platter. put the creamy chickpeas salad. Top with hemp seeds and more red pepper.

This salad is perfect for you to stuff your arepas! 

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Tips: 

I use Reduced Fat Vegenaise®, and I buy it in Whole Foods Market 

If you don’t have chickpeas, you can use cannellini beans,  white kidney beans, or black eyed peas.

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Highlights 

Avocados are a good source of  Vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin E.

Hemp: The protein and fiber in hemp combine to slow digestion, which prevents spikes in blood sugar and therefore sustains your body’s energy. A diet rich in hemp promotes digestive regularity. When sprinkled on your cereal or fruit at breakfast, hemp protein and fiber also help aid in satiety, which will prevent you from snacking and keep you fuller longer.

Chickpeas: Eating chickpeas provides you with a vegetarian-friendly source of protein, with each cup of cooked garbanzo beans containing 15 grams. Your body breaks down this protein into amino acids and then uses them to maintain the health of your body’s tissues. 

Green peas are a very good source of vitamin K, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin B1, copper, vitamin C, phosphorus, and folate. They are also a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin B2, molybdenum, zinc, protein, magnesium, iron, potassium, and choline.

Spinach: Low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, spinach is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.