Dinner Tonight: Chickpea Salad with Feta and Mint
I'm not too crazy about room-temperature bean salads; I like my beans best when they're hot and refried. But I'm always tempted by legume recipes for their cheapness and healthiness, and it's the season for salads. I've also yet to meet a Jamie Oliver salad that I didn't like—the man has a knack. So when I saw this chickpea recipe, I took a chance. I liked that they are heated in a skillet to give them color and creaminess, similarly to another delicious recipe I made awhile back.
Shedding the usual trappings of lettuce and raw vegetables, this salad pairs the creamy chickpea against salty feta cheese and sweet cherry tomatoes; bits of basil and mint shoot it through with herby freshness. The dressing is bright and lemony, and a little hot from a fresh chili. It's not a revolutionary recipe, but it was simple to prepare and very appealing. The trick to take away is the heating of the chickpeas; beyond that, the spices and ingredients could be easily adapted.
Chickpea Salad with Feta and Mint
-serves 4-
Adapted from JamieOliver.com
Ingredients
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small fresh red chili, deseeded and minced
2 handfuls red or yellow cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
410g can of good-quality imported chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly torn or chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, roughly torn or chopped
7 ounces feta cheese
Procedure
1. Combine the onion, chili, and tomatoes with their juice into a bowl. Dress with most of the lemon juice and olive oil to taste (about three times as much as lemon juice), then season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small skillet, drizzle a little olive oil over medium heat and add the chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes until hot and creamy and just beginning to color. Add them to the bowl and allow to marinate and cool.
3. Once cooled, toss the herbs and season again to taste, adding any remaining lemon juice if needed. Serve with the feta cheese loosely crumbled on top.
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10 Comments:
This looks so good, I am going to make it as soon as my tomatoes ripen!
DELICIOUS at 4:20PM on 07/02/09
I JUST bought some chick peas over lunch (I shop on my lunch break on occasion) and have some left over feta (from another room tempature bean salad I just made). Now I know what to do with it. Thanks.
KB in Toledo at 4:41PM on 07/02/09
I am sure this would be a lovely side dish. But "dinner"?
hungryinhouston at 10:36PM on 07/02/09
@hungryinhouston - I always think that myself when I see salads as a main course on this website.
I've heard people say "add some garlic bread and you've got a delicious light supper." I must be the biggest eater in the world, but I don't think a chickpea salad (with or without bread) would do much to satisfy my dinner needs. My husband would stage a revolt if I tried to pass that off as dinner(he'd probably love the salad, but then ask what's for dinner after he ate it up!)
cickert at 11:15PM on 07/02/09
Gonna have to agree. This is a "lunch", to be sure... but dinner?
Also, Blake - you REALLY like chickpeas :)
djwackfriz at 11:34AM on 07/03/09
just posted a really similar salad that uses three different beans. i agree that the key is in heating the beans! will make for a great Fourth of July salad.
nithya at hungrydesi at 5:25PM on 07/03/09
I made this last night for a light supper and it was awesome. My husband really loved it!!! I used our meyer lemons and they just kicked it up a notch. I had jalapeno's so it wasn't as spicy as it could have been, but I will be making this often over the summer.
DELICIOUS at 4:24PM on 07/08/09
I'm wondering if this would be good served over brown rice...then you'd have dinner with a complete protein! Hmmm, think I'll try it.
Fairlight at 7:43PM on 07/08/09
Ask not why we have an obesity problem.
maxice at 4:26PM on 07/10/09
I know this is a bit late and after the fact, but half a chicken breast lightly sauteed and flavored with a little lemon juice would meet my criteria of a complete meal.
RossS at 2:32PM on 09/03/09