Chickpea Salad with Feta

Chickpeas are a mild and versatile legume that are great hot or cold. Usually chickpeas are sprinkled on top of salads. In my chickpea salad with feta, they are the star of the show. I love this salad because it’s both light and refreshing but also satisfying due to chickpeas’ high protein and fiber content. This salad can provide a refreshing alternative to the mayonnaise dressed salads of summer picnics and barbecues and the lack of lettuce means it holds up well to travel without wilting or becoming slimy. It pairs well with grilled meats and fish, and when served with pita bread, is a complete balanced vegetarian meal of it’s own. Be sure to add the chickpeas to the dressing while they are still warm so that they soak up all the tangy goodness. Make the marinated chickpeas up to a day ahead of time and add your fresh veggies, herbs and cubed feta right before serving. Olive oil solidifies in the refrigerator, so allow the cold salad to warm to room temperature for 20 minutes before enjoying for best results!

Directions:

Drain chickpeas that you’ve soaked overnight and rinse. Transfer to a 6 quart stock pot and add 16 cups cool water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling shift cover so that lid sits ajar and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 30 minutes before stirring in 3 Tbsp kosher salt. Continue to simmer until chickpeas are soft and easily squish when pinched between two fingers. (About 40- 50 minutes)
While the chickpeas are cooking, place olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, ½ tsp table salt and ½ tsp fine ground pepper in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Stir in diced red onions, cover and refrigerate until chickpeas are ready.
Drain chickpeas thoroughly and add hot chickpeas to the large bowl with the dressing and now pickled onions. Toss to coat. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator until chilled.
Add minced parsley, grape tomatoes, cucumber and feta to chilled, marinated chickpeas right before serving. Stir to combine and enjoy!

(Serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

1 lb (448 grams) Chickpeas (Sorted, rinsed and soaked overnight).
3 Tbsp Kosher Salt
16 Cups Cool Water
½ cup (120 ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup (60 ml) Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 grams) Dijon Mustard
½ tsp Table Salt
½ tsp Fine Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp (45 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Large Red Onion (about 100-130 grams), diced.
1 Cup Parsley, minced. (About 15 grams)
1 Large English Cucumber, deseeded and diced into 1” pieces. (About 300 grams)
300 grams (About 1 pint) Grape Tomatoes, halved.
12 oz (336 grams) Feta, cut into ½” cubes.

Chickpeas are a mild and versatile legume that are great hot or cold. Usually chickpeas are sprinkled on top of salads. In my chickpea salad with feta, they are the star of the show. I love this salad because it’s both light and refreshing but also satisfying due to chickpeas’ high protein and fiber content. This salad can provide a refreshing alternative to the mayonnaise dressed salads of summer picnics and barbecues and the lack of lettuce means it holds up well to travel without wilting or becoming slimy. It pairs well with grilled meats and fish, and when served with pita bread, is a complete balanced vegetarian meal of it’s own. Be sure to add the chickpeas to the dressing while they are still warm so that they soak up all the tangy goodness. Make the marinated chickpeas up to a day ahead of time and add your fresh veggies, herbs and cubed feta right before serving. Olive oil solidifies in the refrigerator, so allow the cold salad to warm to room temperature for 20 minutes before enjoying for best results!

Simmer & Stir