From avocado toast to these green “farm tacos,” we’ve never met a chickpea recipe we didn’t like. This version of a crispy chickpea salad puts the little legumes to good use — a punch of protein, extra texture, and subtle flavor that can turn even the most carnivorous of meat-eaters onto the powers of plant-based food.
We originally ran this recipe from Claire Thomas cookbook, The Kitchy Kitchen years ago, but couldn’t resist bringing it back for those warm early fall dinners. The crunch of the fried chickpeas paired with the slew of fresh herbs make this “deconstructed falafel sandwich” the perfect side salad for the end of summer.
Falafel is one of my favorite meals. Crispy and fresh – and usually wedged between bright pickles, creamy tahini and fluffy pita – it’s all about layering textures and flavors for the perfect combination. I took that idea out of the pita and into the salad bowl, and simplified things by using crispy fried chickpeas rather than balls of falafel. I’m pretty obsessed. It’s super fresh, a little spicy and just so good.
Claire’s Crispy Chickpea Salad With Yogurt + Tahini
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups olive oil
1 cup chickpeas, cooked and drained
1 fennel bulb, shaved
1 recipe pickles
1/4 cup roughly chopped mint
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp yogurt
For the pickles:
1 cup very hot tap water
1/2 cup rice-wine vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
2 cups cauliflower, chopped into small florets
DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 400F. Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping every now and then until deep golden brown and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Combine everything in a bowl, and serve!
For the pickles:
Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over the cucumber and cauliflower, and let sit for at least 15 minutes.
