We’ve eaten this as a side salad, and on it’s own with crusty bread – a summery meal in its own right! As always the quality of the tomatoes will really make this dish sing.
You should assemble most of this dish a bit in advance to allow the flavours to develop, then add the herbs and feta cheese just before serving.
Wine Suggestion: Try to find a youthful Italian red that echo’s the sunshine of this dish. We drank a Dolcetto d’Alba from Pira Luigi that had a joy and vitality, but reds from the Marche, Abruzzo and other central Italian regions should be a delight too. If you’re pushing the boat out go for a Rosso di Montalcino.
Summer Chickpea Salad – to serve 4
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced
- 1-2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely sliced
- 2 handfuls of ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 lemons
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 x 410g tin of chickpeas, drained
- a handful of fresh mint, chopped
- a handful of basil, finely torn
- 200g feta cheese
Mix the tomatoes (including any juice) with the onion and chillies in a large bowl. Dress with the juice of 1½ lemons and lots of good olive oil. Season to taste.
Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add almost all of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas before adding them as well. Allow to marinate for a while at room temperature.
Add the herbs and check the seasoning just before serving – you can add a bit more lemon juice if necessary. Put the salad in a serving dish and crumble the feta cheese over the top.
(Original recipe from Jamie’s Dinners by Jamie Oliver, Penguin Books, 2004.)
Looks delicious! I love the recipe. Spicy, minty and feta…great combination.
The great recipe 🙂