Middle Eastern Spiced Chickpea Salad

If you're looking for a tasty, healthy vegetarian option -- look no further! This chickpea salad is full of flavor and pretty straightforward to make. I threw this into my meal prep rotation this week, and you should too! If you're looking to add a protein, I'm sure shrimp or chicken would be great added to this, but you don't need it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Chickpeas

14 oz can chickpeas, drained

2 tb olive oil

Chickpea Spices

1 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp salt

Salad

1-2 english cucumbers, depending on the size, cut into bite sized pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut into halves

1 small red onion, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped (or ground if you don't have fresh, but adjust the measurement)

1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped

Dressing

1 1/2 tb sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar if you don't have sherry vinegar)

1/2 lemon, zested

2 tb lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp fine sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and add all of the spices to coat. The wetness of the chickpeas will make the spices stick. Heat 2 tb olive oil in a skillet over high heat and fry the chickpeas for a couple of minutes, shaking the pan so that they roll around. Use a spoon to stir if necessary. Place in a bowl to cool. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with a bit of the dressing and toss. Transfer to your serving bowl. Top the salad with the chickpeas and drizzle with more dressing. Toss gently, if desired. Serve with pita bread and yogurt or tzatziki, if desired.