Description
This cilantro-lime chickpea salad is inspired by a salad I recently discovered at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany. I have not tried canned chickpeas, but go for it if you have them on hand. This is a super simple salad: chickpeas + onions + dressing. Add to it as you wish: dried fruit, nuts, seeds, a minced jalapeno, etc., would all be welcomed here.
Ingredients
for cooking the chickpeas:
- 1 lb. dried chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 qts. water
for the dressing:
- 4 oz. cilantro (a large bunch)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice or white balsamic vinegar or a mix of the two
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
for the salad:
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 cup finely chopped red or yellow onion
- dressing to taste
Instructions
- Soaking and cooking the chickpeas:Dissolve the 3 tablespoons of salt into the water. Add the chickpeas and soak for 8 to 24 hours. Drain, rinse and place in a pot with the remaining teaspoon of salt. Cover with water by three inches. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the chickpeas are cooked through — this can take 45 minutes (or less) or over an hour. As noted above, it is important the chickpeas are completely cooked through. Be sure to taste a few. Let the chickpeas cool in their cooking liquid. Store the chickpeas in their cooking liquid.
- Make the dressing:Place the cilantro, lime or vinegar (or both), olive oil, garlic, mustard, 2 teaspoons of the sugar, turmeric, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. Taste. Adjust dressing with more salt, pepper, sugar, lime, vinegar, oil, etc.
- Make the salad:Place cooked chickpeas in a large bowl. Add minced onion. Toss with dressing to taste. I didn’t really measure, but I probably used 1 cup of minced onion for 3 cups of cooked chickpeas, and I dressed the chickpeas heavily in the dressing — go big on the dressing! Taste, adjust with more salt if necessary.
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
