Provençal Chickpea Salad

Popular in the Mediterranean this flavorful salad is packed with nutritious ingredients! Chickpeas, called ‘pois chiche’ in French and also sometimes referred to as ‘garbanzo beans’ in English, are considered a superfood with protein, fiber and nutrients such as calcium, iron and more. This salad also features celery that can be found year-around in most shops and markets and is rich in fiber and antioxidants. It also offers the perfect counter texture of crunch and freshness. And finally, fresh parsley (flat or Italian) even in as little as a tablespoon, offers vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can provide important health benefits and is a particularly rich source of vitamin K. That said, this salad is a delicious main or side dish, or a perfect packable lunch!

Part 1 - Mise-en-place

Makes six servings.

Gather the basic ingredients:

400 grams / one 20 oz. can of chickpeas
100 grams / about 1 cup, pitted black or kalamata olives
8 whole anchovy filets
2 green onion stalks, finely chopped
A small bunch or 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt

Part 2 - Method

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. If you have time, dried, soaked and cooked chickpeas excel in texture and flavor, but canned can work just as well in this salad.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, add salt to taste and set aside.

In a large salad bowl, add all of the ingredients and toss to coat evenly with the dressing. Sprinkle additional cumin seeds if desired.

Part 3 - Bringing it all together

This salad is lovely as a side dish to grilled meats or chicken and even makes a great appetizer served in small bowls with a bit of baguette. Traditionally it might be served with ‘socca’ which is a chickpea flour flat bread.

Tips:

This salad keeps in the fridge for up to a week. You can make it in advance and hold out the parsley and the dressing until ready to serve. It also packs well for work lunches or picnics as it can safely stay unrefrigerated for several hours.