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Angled overhead shot of chickpea salad in a beige bowl with a spoon.
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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 355kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

Chickpeas

  • 2 (15 oz / 425g) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see Note 1)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, grated, or crushed with a press
  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or ½ tsp red pepper flakes)
  • ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly crushed (see Note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (see Note 2)
  • 1 tablespoon preserved lemon, minced (or the zest of 1 lemon below / 1 TBSP zest)
  • 2 medium lemons, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon sumac, more for finishing (optional, see Note 3)
  • Kosher salt

Finishing Ingredients

  • 1 heaping cup (100g) thinly sliced red onion
  • 4 Persian cucumbers (or ~10 oz / 285g English cucumber)
  • ¼ cup (32g) roasted white sesame seeds
  • ½ cup (8g) flat leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
  • ½ cup (8g) fresh mint leaves
  • ⅓ to ½ cup (75 to 112g) tahini, well-stirred (see Note 4)
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
  • ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup, more as needed
  • A few pinches of flaky sea salt

Instructions

  • Add the drained chickpeas to a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic and Aleppo pepper.
  • Lightly crush the coriander seeds by either blitzing once or twice in a spice grinder; using a mortar and pestle; or crushing with the back of a sturdy mug.
  • Toast the spices: Heat the olive oil in your smallest frying pan or saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the crushed coriander and cumin seeds. Allow to sizzle and swirl the pan frequently to prevent burning. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the spices are a few shades darker and very aromatic. Immediately pour the hot oil over the garlic mixture and allow to sizzle. Stir, then let sit for 1 minute.
  • Pour the infused oil over the chickpeas. Stir in the minced preserved lemon (or 1 TBSP lemon zest), 2 TBSP (30 mL) lemon juice, and sumac, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper (I use ~ 1 ½ tsp kosher salt). Set aside to marinate.
  • Add the sliced red onion to a bowl of ice water (to mellow out the pungency). Soak for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
  • Dice the cucumbers. Finely chop the parsley and mint.
  • Tahini Dressing: In a bowl, combine the tahini, 3 TBSP (45 mL) ice water, 2 TBSP (30 mL) lemon juice, maple syrup, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir with a fork until thick and very creamy (I like mine spreadable and thick, but if using less tahini, it will be a bit thinner). Taste, adding lemon juice or salt to taste, or more maple syrup for sweetness.
  • Add the cucumbers, drained onions, sesame seeds, and half of the mint/parsley to the chickpea salad. Toss well to combine. Taste, adding more lemon juice or salt as desired.
  • Schmear the Tahini Dressing onto the bottom of a shallow bowl or plate. Top with the chickpea salad and the remaining mint and parsley. Sprinkle the salad with a bit of sumac and Aleppo pepper and flaky sea salt to taste.

Notes

  1. If cooking dried chickpeas from scratch, use 8 oz / 227g chickpeas, then cook using your preferred method.
  2. If you don’t have whole cumin and coriander seeds, use ½ teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander. Add to the oil in step 3 and stir constantly for just 20 to 30 seconds, then immediately remove from the heat.
  3. If not using sumac, you may want to buy another lemon and add more lemon zest and/or juice to taste.
  4. I prefer a thick and spreadable consistency for the tahini sauce, so I use the larger amount of tahini (½ cup / 112g). If you prefer a drizzleable consistency or want something lighter, use ⅓ cup (75g) tahini instead. If you end up with leftover tahini sauce, use it with any vegetables, grains, or legumes; or spread on toast.