Warm Chickpea Salad with Cumin
Category: Soup & Salad, Vegetarian
Total Time: 75 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes or to taste
- 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
- 2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (rinsed and drained)
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained and finely chopped)
- 3/4 cup Italian parsley (leaves only)
- small handful of fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced )
- 3/4 lb english cucumber
- flaky sea salt
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet (cast iron is nice) over medium heat
- When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and crushed red pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about one minute or until the seeds are toasted
- The cumin will turn slightly darker in color, and smell toasty
- Turn the heat to medium low and add the garlic.
- Cook, stirringly frequently, for about three minutes or until the garlic is turning golden
- Do not let it scorch or turn brown
- Add the drained chickpeas and the chopped tomatoes and turn the heat up to medium high
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are warmed through and are shiny with oil. Turn off the heat
- Strip any remaining stems away from the Italian parsley
- Finely mince the parsley and the mint and toss this with the chickpeas
- Stir the lemon juice and zest into the chickpeas
- Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise
- Scrape out (and discard) the seeds with the tip of a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon
- Dice the cucumber into small, 1/2-inch square cubes. Toss the cucumber with the chickpeas
- Taste for salt. If necessary, add flaky sea salt to taste.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before eating
- This salad is best after it has had a chance to sit overnight in the fridge, letting its spices and juices soak together into more than the sum of its parts
- Serve slightly warm or room temperature. Really good at any temperature, actually.
- Enjoy!