When it’s just too hot to cook like today in Minnesota, I had an Avocado Matcha Smoothie for breakfast, and then avoided the stove for lunch by putting a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) to good use in this Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad – spiced with smoked Spanish paprika & sumac berry powder.
Just as Sumac Berry Powder is a must-have for sprinkling onto hummus (ground chickpeas), it’s also excellent with whole chickpeas. The combination of nutty, creamy chickpeas with tangy, citrusy sumac creates a delicious starting point for any Middle Eastern salad.
For this recipe, mix the spiced chickpeas with a bed of peppery arugula leaves, and diced Persian cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion. Then sprinkle in a pinch of sea salt and smoked paprika And finally, toss with extra virgin olive oil, and top with crumbles of feta cheese.
Enjoy the salad as is, or add it into a lightly toasted pita pocket along with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad
by Season with Spice
Serves 2 as a main salad, or 4-6 as a side
Ingredients:
25oz can of good quality chickpeas (garbanzo) – drained and rinsed well
2 Persian cucumbers – diced
1 small red bell pepper – diced
1/2 red onion – diced
Handful of arugula
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp of Season with Spice’s Sumac Berry Powder
1/4 tsp of Season with Spice’s Smoked Spanish Paprika
Feta cheese (optional)
Method:
In a large salad bowl, combine chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and arugula. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in some lemon juice. Lightly toss. Season with sea salt, sumac berry powder and smoked Spanish paprika. Toss again. Crumble on some feta cheese over the salad (if using).
by Season with Spice
Serves 2 as a main salad, or 4-6 as a side
Ingredients:
25oz can of good quality chickpeas (garbanzo) – drained and rinsed well
2 Persian cucumbers – diced
1 small red bell pepper – diced
1/2 red onion – diced
Handful of arugula
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Sea salt, to taste
1 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp of Season with Spice’s Sumac Berry Powder
1/4 tsp of Season with Spice’s Smoked Spanish Paprika
Feta cheese (optional)
Method:
In a large salad bowl, combine chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and arugula. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil and squeeze in some lemon juice. Lightly toss. Season with sea salt, sumac berry powder and smoked Spanish paprika. Toss again. Crumble on some feta cheese over the salad (if using).
