Chickpea Salad

I should preface this post with the fact that I an utterly obsessed with chickpeas. I could eat them out of the can. (I actually have, terrible, I know.) I wish more than anything I could take credit for coming up with this simple, yet delicious, chickpea concoction. It really is a testament to how a few ingredients can pack a flavorful punch.


This recipe is brought to you by one of my favorite food blogs, 101 Cookbooks. Hiedi's recipes, photos, and stories make me want to run to the farmers market and frolic as I pick my produce. She has a unique view on ingredient combination, influenced from the middle and far east (think tahini, curry, and sesame) which has taught me a lot in the kitchen.

Leeks aren't used too often in American kitchens. They are pretty much an enlarged, milder version of a green onion. What balances the mildness is the bite from the red onion. For the yogurt sauce, I highly suggest Greek yogurt. Its creamier than traditional yogurt, while still being low in fat. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Cheers & happy eating!



Pan-fried Chickpea Salad
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 tablespoon clarified butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), pat them completely dry with clean dish towel
1 cup of chopped leeks
1 medium clove of garlic, minced
zest of one lemon
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I typically use low-fat Greek)
1 1/2 teaspoons Indian-style curry powder (or to taste)
scant 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 or 2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup red onion or red spring onions, chopped

1/3 cup of toasted slivered almond, chopped

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet and add the chickpeas. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start getting a bit golden in color. Stir in the leeks and cook until the chickpeas are more golden and the leeks have browned a bit as well, roughly 7 - 10 minutes total. At the last minute stir in the garlic and the lemon zest. Remove from heat, and set aside.

While the chickpeas cool (I like to serve this salad at room temperature), make the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, curry powder, and salt in a small bowl. If you need to thin it out a bit, particularly if you are using Greek yogurt, whisk in warm water a tablespoon at a time. Taste, adjust, and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the chickpea mixture with most of the cilantro and most of the chopped red onion. Add about 1/2 of the yogurt dressing and toss again. If you like more dressing, keep adding until you are pleased. Serve on a platter sprinkled with the remaining onions and cilantro.