I've been trying to make higher-protein salads to eat at work, but when I use canned chickpeas they end up really soft and bland. Is there any trick to make them taste better? Do you have to drain them really well or something like that?
I went through the same thing, and the key is three things: first, yeah, drain them really well and rinse them under cold water to get rid of that slimy broth from the can, because that's what leaves them flavorless. Second, while they're still a bit wet, toss them with a good dressing (olive oil, lemon, minced garlic, salt and pepper) so they absorb flavor instead of staying bland. And third, let them marinate in the dressing for a bit before you put the whole salad together, that way they blend in better. If your chickpeas kept coming out mushy, it was probably because you weren't rinsing that liquid from the can well enough and because you were dressing them together with everything else at the end.
Canned chickpeas don't have to turn out bland if you treat them right, but there's one detail a lot of people miss: after draining and rinsing them, take a minute to dry them with a paper towel or clean cloth. If you throw them into the salad wet, the extra moisture dilutes the dressing and leaves everything flat.
Once they're dry, dress them separately with a bit of oil, vinegar, salt, and garlic before you put the whole salad together. That way they soak up all the flavor instead of turning into mushy little things floating around in the mix.
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