WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS For a flavorful and easy side salad or light lunch, we combined nutty chickpeas and carrots with the Mediterranean flavors of arugula and olives. But simply tossing the ingredients with a lemon vinaigrette resulted in a lackluster salad with a pool of dressing at the bottom of the bowl. We wanted the seasoning to go beyond the surface of the chickpeas and fully infuse each one with big, bold flavor. The key was to warm the chickpeas before mixing them with the dressing ingredients: The seed coats that cover the chickpeas are rich in pectin, which breaks down when exposed to heat and moisture, creating a more porous inner surface that our dressing could easily penetrate. Letting the dressed chickpeas rest for 30 minutes put the flavor over the top and also allowed the chickpeas to cool. Use the large holes of a box grater to shred the carrots.
Serves 6
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
- 1 cup baby arugula, chopped
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Microwave chickpeas in medium bowl until hot, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in olive oil, lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Add carrots, arugula, and olives to chickpea mixture and toss to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve.
