Chopped Salad with Spiced Chickpeas
serves 4
recipe slightly adapted from Eating in the Middle
for the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- pinch salt
for the salad:
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup packed chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
- spiced chickpeas (see below)
For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon, juice and 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk in the garlic and salt.
For the salad, in a large bowl, toss together the romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, onion and parsley.
To serve, divid the salad among four serving bowls. Top each with a quarter of the feta, a quarter of the chickpeas and 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
Spiced Chickpeas
(makes 3 1/4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- generous pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 – 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
In a small bowl, combine the cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, cayenne and salt.
Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels. Put them in a gallon sized resealable plastic bag with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the spice mixture, reseal the bag and shake to coat the chickpeas with the spices.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and sauté, shaking the pan occasionally, until they are browned and crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Let chickpeas cool and serve them with salad.