Hola Mi Gente,
When it comes to making salads, I’m a pretty basic girl. I tend to prefer acidic, simple dressings and I always want to have a good crunch. Because it’s hard enough to get our regular dose of vegetables, I usually invite the same friends (talking about veggies here) to the table over and over, and that’s fine and all, but every once in a while it’s nice to shake things up. It’s even nicer to shake things up by adding something I already always have on hand, and that doesn’t add too much time to my tossing, BUT does make for a beautiful, nutritional, and textural addition.
Enter chickpeas. Maybe you think about hummus when you think of chickpeas, which is fine because it’s really their star dish (I’m pretty partial to this recipe), but did you know that crisping up chickpeas is SUPER easy and is a quick protein addition to salads? You probably did, because you’re a smart cookie.
This salad is essentially a mediterranean salad (imagine your self in Santorini, Cinque Terre, The Black Sea) with some added sumac to bring in a boldness that complements the lemon, a lovely bite from fresh herbs, and the star of our show, the crispy chickpeas. The great thing about these chickpeas is that we’re seasoning them before we crisp them up, so that they add depth of flavor to the rest of their friends when it all gets tossed together. This is a great, easy, weeknight salad that gives you the satisfaction of feeling like you went out to eat.
A note about fresh herbs
For fresh herbs I used parsley and thyme, but feel free to experiment here, had I had them on hand I would have thrown in full sprigs of dill, mint, and oregano as well. So you know, feel free to adventure around. If anything, I always want these recipes to be ones you make your own, and tweak to your tastes and eating habits.
Love, love, love,
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
Chickpeas
- 1.5 C Chickpeas Cooked and Strained
- 2 TBSP Oil
- 1 TSP Kosher Salt
- 1/2 TSP Sumac
- 1/2 TSP Cumin
- 1/2 TSP Paprika
Salad
- 1 English Cucumber Sliced into Half Moons
- 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes Sliced in Half
- 1/2 Red Onion Thinly Sliced
- 1/4 C Parsley Finely Chopped
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme Leaves Only, Stems Removed
- 1 Lemon Juiced
- Kosher Salt to Taste Between 1-3 TSP
Instructions
Chickpeas
- To crisp chick peas, begin by heating a pan over medium high heat. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl together to get the chickpeas fully coated in the seasoning. Add to the pan when it is hot and cook until they are golden brown and crisp, about 5-7 minutes. Add oil as needed to the pan. Set aside and remove from heat.
Salad
- Slice vegetables and add to your salad bowl. Add in the chickpeas and lemon and toss until fully coated. Begin adding Salt 1 TSP at a time, until you taste it and think "I want more of that," and enjoy!
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
