A hearty vegan warm salad, perfect for winter.
Chickpeas are a perennial favorite in the Middle East. Their earthy flavor is always wisely paired with something sharp, like onions, as in our chickpea sambusak recipe, or with lemon. And happily, artichokes are in season now. The two star in a hearty vegan salad that combines cooked and raw ingredients with a herby, pungent dressing that’s full of vitamin C.
For those hardy enough to boil up a big pot full of those tender thistles, have a bowl full of our artichoke dip for anointing the cooked leaves with before popping them into your mouth. Then slice the meaty hearts up for this salad. But if the thought of cooking so many fresh artichokes intimidates you, well, there’s no shame in using the local jarred or frozen variety.
Vegan Chickpea and Artichoke Salad
4 servings.
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided juice of 1 lemon
1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) fresh, finely chopped basil
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt, or more, to taste
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) cooked chickpeas, well drained. If using canned, rinse and drain again before cooking.
6-8 artichoke hearts, sliced lengthwise
1/3 cup (55 g) natural almonds with skin, coarsely chopped
In a large bowl, mix 3 Tbsp (45 ml) of the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic and sea salt. Set aside.
Heat another 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown – about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil in the pan and add the artichoke hearts, cut side down. Cook until they are browned, stirring only once or twice to avoid breaking them up, about 5-10 minutes more. Add them to the bowl as well.
Toss the salad gently until the chickpeas and artichoke hearts are well coated with the dressing. To serve, spoon the salad onto serving plates and sprinkle with some of the chopped almonds (add any leftover almonds to the bowl and toss again). Serve warm.
More mouth-watering recipes with chickpeas and artichokes on Green Prophet:
Recipe and photo of salad by Ricki Heller via thisdishisvegetarian.com
Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Very fresh and tasty. Thank you for sharing.
I served this with quinoa.