Falafel Spiced Chickpea Salad

Amarante

Tue, Nov 10 2020, 10:07 am

This was delicious and a bit different from the ubiquitous salad. Because of the chickpeas it could be a main course - especially for a light meal. Or serve with other salad type of foods.

I made the tahini dressing ahead of time so prep was easy. You could cut the tomatoes ahead of time as that was the only prep or the salad.

The directions say to layer but it's not really a layered salad since everything is tossed. I did as instructed but I think the layering was more about making sure the ingredients got properly mixed up together.

Falafel Spiced Chickpea Salad

Excerpt From: Karen Tedesco - Family Style.

I’m crazy about falafel and have been known to stalk certain NYC food carts for an occasional fix. But let’s face it: It can be a project to make at home (all that deep-frying!). Also, let’s admit that falafel can be very filling, which is good when you’re not planning to eat for the rest of the day, but not so good if you want to feel nourished but not brutally stuffed. This recipe is my way to combine all the flavors I crave into one big, satisfying salad that feels just right.

SERVES 4 – 6

TAHINI SAUCE

⅓ cup (73 g) tahini
⅓ cup (80 ml) cold water
2 tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp (30 ml) toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane or finely chopped
2 tsp (4 g) ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

SALAD

½ cup (50 g) thinly sliced red onion
2 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and trimmed
2 Persian or baby cucumbers, sliced into rounds
1 (15-oz [425-g]) can (or 2 cups [330 g] cooked) chickpeas, drained
2 cups (488 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup (6 g) fresh cilantro or (15 g) mint leaves (or a mixture)
½ cup (60 g) crumbled feta cheese
1 (6-inch [15-cm]) pita bread, toasted and cut into triangles

To make the sauce, put the tahini, water, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, hot sauce, salt and cayenne in a blender or small food processor, and process until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.

For the salad, place the red onion slices in a small bowl and cover them with cold water. Soak the onions for 10 minutes, then drain and pat them dry with a clean towel—this will mellow the onion’s sharpness.

To assemble the salad, tear any large romaine leaves into pieces. Layer one half of the leaves in a large serving bowl. Top with half of each of the onion, cucumbers, chickpeas, tomatoes, cilantro and feta. Drizzle with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the Tahini Sauce.

Repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients and drizzle more sauce to taste over the top.
Toss the salad just before serving, and arrange the pita slices around the edge of the bowl. Serve additional Tahini Sauce on the side.

FOR A FAMILY-STYLE FEAST

Because it holds up well at room temperature, this is a salad that begs to be brought outside with Super Creamy Homemade Hummus and Farro and Burrata with Burst Tomatoes for a good hang with friends in the backyard