Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas. about 1 can drained and rinsed, or freshly cooked
- 3 Persian cucumber, chopped, about 1-1/2 cups
- 1 jalapeño, finely chopped (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups baby/ cherry tomatoes sliced in halves if large or leave whole if small ones
- 1 medium sized red onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup pomegrate arils or an orange or your choice of fruit, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained, olive oil preserved preferred
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives and green olives sliced ( I like to mix it up)
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped mint, dill or basil leaves ( I like to use all three together)
- 1 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
- For Dressing
- 2-3 tablespoons your best cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 tbsps lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon zaatar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sea Salt and black pepper
Preparation
In a large salad bowl, mix the salad ingredients together chickpeas, chopped cucumber, baby tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and fresh herbs
In a jar, add all the dressing ingredients extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper, zaatar, chili flakes, sumac and spices
Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix gentle to coat. Leave aside for 30 minutes before serving, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve
When ready to serve, give the salad a quick mix and taste to adjust seasoning if at all needed. Enjoy