Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Serves 4 to 6
This goat cheese, dates, and toasted cumin seeds give this chickpea salad delightful sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors. It keeps well if you prep it ahead of time, so pack it for lunch or bring it to a potluck!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds*
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted and diced
- 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced into thin half moons
- ⅓ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- 3 ounces Roth Chèvre Honey Goat Cheese
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- ⅓ cup roasted chickpeas, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the cumin seeds until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and crush them a bit (a mortar & pestle is easiest for this). Add them to the bowl and stir.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, dates, cucumbers, red pepper, and parsley to the bowl and toss. Transfer to a serving platter and dollop with the goat cheese, sprinkle with mint, and top with the extra roasted chickpeas, if desired. Season to taste and serve.
Notes
*if using ground cumin seeds, use a heaping 1/2 teaspoon and add it directly to the mixing bowl, no need to toast.