Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Mmm… Just the name of it alone makes my mouth water! I absolutely love this salad!! On top of its amazing taste, it is super, super healthy and filled with nutrients. Chickpeas provide high quality protein, while red kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. I tasted something similar on a plane once, during our flight to Rome (believe it or not), so I just had to recreate this salad, because I loved it so much.

Of course I modified it quite a bit, but I promise you, all the proportions work like magic!

To prepare this delicious salad, you will need:

Chickpeas, Red Kidney Beans, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Shallot, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Fresh Ginger, Parsley, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar.

Now I should mention that of course you can use canned chickpeas & red kidney beans, they will work just as well. I just prefer starting everything from scratch (if I can), because then I know exactly what is in my food. And that is: No Chemicals! =)

Note: If you are going to be using fresh or rather packaged chickpeas & red kidney beans, (i.e. not canned), make sure you soak them in water for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight) prior to boiling them. Otherwise they’ll be way too hard, even after boiling for hours. Trust me, I have made the mistake myself the first time around, because I’ve never used chickpeas before… SO, soak’em up!

To start, trim the ends of the green beans…

And then boil the chickpeas, red kidney beans & green beans in separate pots.

Boil the chickpeas & red kidney beans for approximately 30-45 minutes, or until they are both soft & tender.
Boil the green beans for 6-7 minutes, they should be nice & crunchy – Not Mushy! So don’t over-boil. Worst case, you can always boil them more if you find they didn’t boil enough after you drained & tasted them.

To give the green beans a beautiful, vibrant green color, pop them in a bath of cold water with ice… That will surely boost the color.

Next, cut the ends of the cucumber, and half it length-wise.

Then cut into long strips vertically…

And cube them into medium pieces.

Cut the ends of the shallot and take off the skin…

Thinly slice the shallot…

And separate with your fingers to get them into individual rings.

Now we’re ready for the dressing.

In a small bowl, press the garlic…

Now peel the skin off the fresh ginger…

And grate it…

Mmm… the aromas are sooo good right about now!

In an another small bowl squeeze the juice of a whole lemon…

Add the white wine vinegar…

And the Extra Virgin Olive Oil… (hey you know what, I think I need a short form for this, so EVOO) I like it!

Where were we?

Oh right, add the EVOO…

Season with salt & pepper to taste…

And add in the pressed garlic & grated fresh ginger into the bowl…

And whisk together.

Now, drain the green beans & cut them up into medium pieces…

Just like so…

Look at this gorgeous green color! And they are nice & crunchy… Great compliment to the soft & tender chickpeas/red kidney beans

Chop up the parsley.

Once the chickpeas & red kidney beans are cooked, drain & rinse them both under cold water.

Then combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl…

And pour the dressing all over it…

Mix well together…

Let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or two before serving. I can’t tell you how good this tastes!! Especially on the second day – the dressing marinades all of the ingredients and the taste is simply divine!

Serve it on its own as a starter, or as a main by pairing it with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 min, 30-45 min of boiling

Ingredients:

Salad:
3 cups Chickpeas
3 cups Red Kidney Beans
1/4 Green Beans
2 whole Cucumbers
1 cup chopped Parsley
1 sliced Shallot

Dressing:
3/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
3/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 whole lemon, juiced
2 cloves pressed Garlic
1 tbsp grated fresh Ginger
Salt & Pepper to taste

You’ve got to try it! It’s fast, healthy & delicious… Everything a salad should be! =)

Bon Appétit!