Make-Ahead Chickpea Salad With Cumin and Celery Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A simple salad of chickpeas dressed in a light vinaigrette is flavored with cumin, shallots, and olive oil. Crunchy celery and parsley finish it off. This is the kind of salad that gets better as it sits—make it one night and pack it for lunch at the office or on a picnic the next day.

Note: For best flavor and texture, use dried chickpeas. For faster results, use two (15-ounce) cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas and start recipe from step two.

Recipe Facts

5

(2)

Active: 10 mins
Total: 9 hrs 30 mins
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight in cold salted water at room temperature

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 carrot, cut into 3-inch segments

  • 1 onion, split in half

  • 2 stalks celery, one thinly sliced crosswise, one cut into 3-inch segments, divided

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced

  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Drain chickpeas and place in a large pot with bay leaf, carrot, onion, and the segmented celery stalk. Cover with cold water by 2 inches, season with salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chickpeas are tender but still hold their shape, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf, carrot, onion, and celery. Drain and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Let drain in a colander set in the sink while you prepare the rest of the salad.

  2. Combine cumin and vinegar in a large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Add shallot, sliced celery, parsley leaves, and drained chickpeas. Toss to coat with dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or for better results, store overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. Salad will keep for up to three days.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
273 Calories
16g Fat
26g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 273
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 333mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 9mg 45%
Calcium 38mg 3%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 351mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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