Ottolenghi's Spiced Chickpeas with Fresh Vegetable Salad
Clean, fresh and, above all, tasty a warm dish that is perfect for todays Meatless Mondays and the latest round of My Legume Love Affair the brainchild of Susan at The Well Seasoned Cook this month hosted by Dee over at Ammalu's Kitchen. This recipe comes from chef Yotam Ottolenghi and his latest cookbook Plenty that is a compilation of his recipes from the Guardian.
**Spiced Chickpeas with Fresh Vegetable Salad**
100g dried chickpeas
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 small cucumbers (280g)
2 large tomatoes (300g)
1 small red onion, peeled
240g radishes
1 red pepper, seeds and pith removed
20g coriander leaves and stems, roughly chopped
15g flat-leaf parsley, picked and roughly chopped
120ml olive oil
Grated zest of 2 lemons, plus 50ml lemon juice30ml sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp ground cardamom
1½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cumin
Greek yogurt (optional)
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Soak the chickpeas overnight in a large bowl of cold water and the bicarb. Next day, drain, place in a large pan and cover with twice the volume of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour, skimming off any foam, until tender, then drain.
Cut the cucumber, tomato, onion, radish and pepper into 1cm dice, and mix with the coriander and parsley. In a jar or sealable container, put 75ml of olive oil with the lemon juice and zest, vinegar, garlic and sugar, shake and season to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly.
Mix together the cardamom, allspice, cumin and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and spread on a plate. Toss the cooked chickpeas in the spice mixture in batches, to coat well. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and over medium heat lightly fry the chickpeas for two to three minutes, gently shaking the pan so they cook evenly and don't stick. Keep warm.
Divide the salad between four plates, arranging it in a large circle with a slight indent in the middle, and spoon the warm chickpeas in the centre. Drizzle some Greek yoghurt on top if you prefer the salad to be a bit more creamy.
You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
Fresh and mouthwatering!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
How splendid, Val. :-) I've been on a chickpea spree this month, finding all sorts of lovely stews and soups to make with them, and I love the looks of this spicy but fresh salad. Yum!! :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious!
ReplyDeleteLove chickpeas Val, and this look yummy,yummy, gloria
ReplyDeleteI feel like every one in the world is more creative with chickpeas than I am.
ReplyDeleteWow. You're inspiring us to try out the same: no meat on Mondays. Great idea. What a lovely looking dish and can imagine the taste is dynamite! Hardest part is remembering to soak the chickpeas the day before... :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing.
It is official. If that cookbook doesn't get here soon, I intend to be very very angry. Love this salad!
ReplyDeleteI had a bean salad for lunch for Meatless Mondays and will have a Meatless Dinner as well. Those spiced chickpeas looks so good in your salad.
ReplyDeleteThis salad looks and sounds incredible. It's definitely a feast for the senses with the warm and spicy chickpeas along with the coolness of the tomatoes and cucumber and then you add the creaminess of the Greek yogurt. Amazing! This one will be bookmarked :o)
ReplyDeleteChickpeas from dried to cooked are so much better than the canned variety...it's the little things that count!
ReplyDeleteI have the book and had spotted that recipe. It looks really nice, fresh-tasting and nutritious. A great way to start the week.
ReplyDeleteHubby and I are having more and more meatless meals. We love chickpeas, and this looks delicous! Love the flavors! :)
ReplyDeletespiced chickpeas - that's a marvellous idea; this particular bean goes really well with piquant tastes
ReplyDeleteValerie, I don't think this dish is for you. It does not hold well. The salad is the problem. I really think it is one of those dishes you need to serve within a short period of time. The chickpeas are warm. I would stick to the veggie chili. For presentation serve it in a bun as the bowl.
ReplyDeleteThis is a stunning recipe, Val. I've two Ottolenghi cookbooks and I've heard nothing but good things about them. I can see why. I know once I get sucked into the pages, I may never come out. : ) A great addition to MLLA. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic!..I know it's been a while..hope you are doing well Val!
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I've never bought dried chickpeas? You've inspired me. I've only done this with black beans and they were so much better!
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that I have had a legume love affair the last two months just because - so will definitely be doing this. Tasty way to add chickpeas and love the fresh vegetables - of course wishing they were already local and fresher still. Which means wishing it was really spring.
ReplyDeleteWow! We're just getting into salad season here so your recipe has come just in time. We absolutely love chickpeas and coating them in those spices sounds great. Might even try this tomorrow! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I love legumes too although I mostly use chickpeas only for hummus. This sounds like such a flavorful salad and a perfect meatless meal.
ReplyDeleteI love chickpeas, but I'm afraid I'm the only one in my house. But I wouldn't mind eating this every day for lunch for a week. Great mix of veggies, too.
ReplyDeleteI love chickpea salads! This once looks great!
ReplyDeleteLove chickpeas and that salad looks incredible and such a pretty blue plate!
ReplyDeletethis is go great, Val. I love the colors and contrast of textures. Great MM action right here!
ReplyDeleteWonderful healthy salad! Very flavorful with cardamom, allspice, & cumin!
ReplyDeleteAs I continue to make changes to my nutrition, I need to try more recipes with legumes. I just love chickpeas!
ReplyDeleteVal, you hooked me on a curiosity about the addition of baking soda in the soaking water. Excuse my ignorance on this one...but what is the reason for doing so?
ReplyDeleteI soak dried chickpeas all the time and never used this method.
Looking forward to be enlightened ;o)
Ciao,
Claudia
Hi Claudia. I didn't really know why since I have inevitably used canned chickpeas in the past. Many recipes specify that chickpeas should be cooked with 1 tsp. baking soda; this was necessary to soften the older varieties of chickpeas but now no longer seems to be necessary. Some say it changes the flavour. Curious I Googled and found this information. "Some cooks suggest adding a small amount of baking soda to the cooking water to soften it. We don’t recommend this because baking soda may give the beans a soapy flavour and its ability to improve the bean cooking process has not been proved. Amounts of baking soda over 1/8 teaspoon per cup of beans may destroy the thiamine (Vitamin B1) in beans. Thiamine is a valuable nutrient and one reason why beans have a reputation for being nutritious. If you have hard water and are in doubt as to whether or not to use baking soda, buy purified bottled drinking water – not distilled water – for soaking and cooking beans."
ReplyDeleteMy thought is do not add it, it is not necessary.
I love the fresh bright flavors in this salad, the herbs and spices really make it. Legumes are so perfect for vegetarian dishes, filling and good for you.
ReplyDeleteI love Ottolenghi. What a refreshing recipe that is just perfect for vegetarians.
ReplyDeleteWe love this recipe and have used it a few times. Today, I find myself coming back to it again...although for quickness, we tend to use tinned chickpeas as it's always last minute when we decide to have the salad. :)
ReplyDelete