Tangy Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Maybe your house is like mine right now, enjoying all the wintry things – cheesy grains (like this recipe for French Onion Lentils and Farro), tomato soup (we have Bird Bakery’s yummy take here), and Pappardelle with Short Rib Ragu (the recipe my stepson said was the best thing I’ve ever made). All delicious and warm and cozy. With all that warmth, though, we need some acid, a little something bracing to stand as a lighter foil to the heaviness.

Here is my answer: Tangy Salad with Crispy Chickpeas. Pepperoncini and a vinegary vinaigrette bring the acid. Tomatoes make it sweet. Romaine and celery lend crunch. And crispy chickpeas are the spicy, creamy-crunchy, vegetarian protein to top it all off and make this salad a little more special. And…a half cup of chickpeas has almost 20 grams of protein and plenty of fiber, so this salad can be a meal in itself. 

Unless, of course, it’s freezing outside (do I really see snow in our forecast this week?!), and in that case, may I direct you to this delicious Beef Bourguignon. 

In Tangy Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, pepperoncini and a vinegary vinaigrette bring the acid. Tomatoes make it sweet. Romaine and celery lend crunch. And crispy chickpeas are the spicy, creamy-crunchy, vegetarian protein to top it all off and make this salad a little more special.  

Tangy Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

2 hearts of romaine, chopped
¼ cup chopped pepperoncini
3 ribs celery, diced
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
Crispy Chickpeas, recipe below
Tangy Vinaigrette, recipe below

Toss the lettuce, pepperoncini, celery, and tomatoes together in a medium bowl. Top with Crispy Chickpeas and Tangy Vinaigrette.

Crispy Chickpeas

2 small cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and dried with paper towels

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, use the back of a fork to crush the garlic cloves. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper and stir vigorously with the fork. Add the chickpeas and toss to coat with the oil. Let the chickpeas sit on the counter for 10 minutes.

Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until they get sizzly and browned. Let them cool for 5 minutes.

Tangy Vinaigrette

1 small garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together.