Spiced Chickpea Salad With Tahini And Pita Chips Recipes

SPICED CHICKPEA SALAD WITH TAHINI AND PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Make the chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the chickpeas into a small baking dish, about 6 inches by 8 inches. The chickpeas should be crowded together in a thick layer, not spread out. Pour in olive oil just until chickpeas are covered. (This will look like a lot, but don't worry: It forms part of the dressing.)
• Add garlic, cumin, paprika, and 2 big pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Bake until oil is bubbling around the chickpeas and they are turning reddish-brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, make tahini sauce: Pour tahini into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice and garlic. The tahini will thicken and clump. Slowly whisk in warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes smooth, creamy and pourable. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Set aside.
• Cook the greens: Place a large frying pan over medium heat and drizzle lightly with olive oil. When hot, add the greens in batches, along with a big pinch of salt. Stir until wilted and tender and set aside.
• When ready to serve, in a large bowl, gently mix chickpeas and their cooking oil with the cooked greens, half the pita chips, and the chopped herbs. Mound chickpea mixture in 4 shallow bowls. Divide cucumber slices around chickpeas. Drizzle thickly with half the tahini sauce and scatter remaining pita chips on top. Place a lemon wedge on the side and serve, passing extra tahini sauce at the table.

PITA SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• For the salad: Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the pita pieces until lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel and immediately sprinkle lightly with salt.
• In a large bowl, combine the pita chips with the spinach, mint, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber and onions. Season with a few turns of black pepper and salt to taste.
• For the tahini dressing: Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, sumac, salt, garlic and 1/4 cup water, stirring until thickened. Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad and toss. Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

CHICKPEA SOUP WITH SPICED PITA CHIPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 7 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water, the chickpeas, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and slightly mashing the chickpeas with the back of a spoon, until the soup thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, slice the pitas into thin wedges. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir the lemon juice into the soup just before serving. Top with cilantro and the pita chips.