Chickpea Salad with Goat Cheese, Olives and Arugula

As warmer weather is finally upon us here in London, Ontario, I decided to make a salad rather than a soup. I do enjoy soup year round, but I wanted to celebrate the sunny weather with a Mediterranean style dish. Easy to prepare, but packed full of flavor, this salad will be on the menu again for sure. I do recommend you use top quality olives and goat cheese. Feta could be used instead of goat cheese if desired, though I rather enjoyed the creamy texture of the goat cheese.

Chickpea Salad with Goat Cheese, Olives and Arugula

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on March 18, 2010 Easy, fresh tasting chickpea salad tossed with goat cheese, olives and spices Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1/2 cup dried or 1 14 oz can) 1 cup soft unripened goat cheese, crumbled 2 small tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives handful of fresh parsley, chopped juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 1/2 teaspoon paprika pinch of ground cayenne pinch of chili powder 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 2 cups arugula, to serve Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and begins to brown. While the onion is cooking, combine the chickpeas, goat cheese, tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne and chili powder in a large bowl. Set aside. Add the garlic to the pan with the onions and stir for one minute. Remove from the heat and mix into the chickpea salad. Add sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste and a bit more olive oil if desired. Serve over fresh arugula leaves, along with some crusty bread for a very satisfying lunch or dinner. Makes 4 servings

Other chickpea creations from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen you are sure to enjoy:
Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Hummus with Goat Cheese
Chickpeas and Paneer in a Spicy Creamy Cashew Gravy
Scrambled Chickpea Flour with a Fiery Red Chili Paste
Chickpea and Brown Rice Patties

On the top of the reading stack: Thai and South-East Asian Food & Cooking by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Becky Johnson and Sallie Morris

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