Chickpea Salad With Tahini Dressing Food

SPICED CHICKPEA SALAD WITH TAHINI AND PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Make the chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the chickpeas into a small baking dish, about 6 inches by 8 inches. The chickpeas should be crowded together in a thick layer, not spread out. Pour in olive oil just until chickpeas are covered. (This will look like a lot, but don't worry: It forms part of the dressing.)
• Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bake until oil is bubbling around the chickpeas and they are turning reddish-brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make tahini sauce: Pour tahini into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice and garlic. The tahini will thicken and clump. Slowly whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes smooth, creamy and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside.
• Cook the greens: Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle lightly with olive oil. When hot, add the greens in batches, along with a big pinch of salt. Stir until wilted and tender and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl, gently mix chickpeas and their cooking oil with the cooked greens, half the pita chips, and the chopped herbs. Mound chickpea mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Divide cucumber slices around chickpeas. Drizzle thickly with half the tahini sauce and scatter remaining pita chips on top. Place a lemon wedge on the side and serve, passing extra tahini sauce at the table.

CHICKPEA SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the chickpeas well. This step is optional but recommended: Using a clean kitchen towel dry the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to a bowl along with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Mix to coat the chickpeas well.
• Add 1/2 cup of tahini to a bowl along with 1-2 Tablespoons of water. Using a fork, mix to combine. The tahini will thicken quite a lot. Add another 1-2 Tablespoons of water and mix. Continue this process until the tahini is thinned out and a bit more runny. Next, add the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt, a bit of ground black pepper and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup (or honey). Mix again and give it a taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
• Grab a big salad bowl and add the washed and chopped romaine lettuce, cubed cucumber, diced green apple, chopped spring onion and the seasoned chickpeas. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and toss well.