Crispy pan sautéed chickpeas add flavor, crunch and protein to this delicious, gluten-free Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas!

Usually when it comes to beans I can control myself and eat them in moderation. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to tell you the reasons why, you can figure that out on your own. However, last week I made crispy chickpeas for the first time and completely forgot about my rule of limiting the amount I eat. It was totally worth it and I guarantee you won’t be able to leave them alone either when you make this Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas!

I’ve roasted chickpeas in the oven before, but since I didn’t want the oven on I decided to try the method of sautéing them in a skillet. I really like this method because it takes half the time it would in the oven before I can start shoveling them in my mouth. If you’ve never had crispy chickpeas I highly advise that you make some ASAP. They make an awesome snack or topper for salads and they’re a much better choice than chips or croutons.

You can season the chickpeas however you like or keep it simple and stick to olive oil, salt and pepper. Since these were going on top of the Greek tomato cucumber salad I seasoned them with a homemade Greek spice blend. I ate so many of them before photographing the salad that I had to make another batch..oh darn!

A couple tips when making these crispy chickpeas are to toss them in the Greek spice blend after they are finished cooking so the spices don’t burn and let them cool completely before adding them to the salad so they remain crispy. The longer the chickpeas are in the salad the less crisp they will be so I recommend adding them just before serving. The red wine vinaigrette for the salad makes enough so that you should have leftovers, but if you like a heavily dressed salad feel free to use it all. This salad makes a great side dish or vegetarian main dish and can easily be doubled to serve a crowd. Just be sure to make a double batch of the crispy chickpeas because it’s likely you’ll eat half of them before they make it onto the salad. Enjoy!

Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

Crispy Chickpeas

• 15 ounces chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad

• 1 English cucumber, seeds scraped out and chopped
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 8 kalamata olives, sliced

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Crispy Chickpeas

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a towel.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and swirl around the bottom of the pan to coat it.
3. Add the chickpeas to pan and cook for approximately 17-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy all over, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and toss together with the spices.
5. Serve immediately with the salad or cool in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1. In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the red wine vinaigrette.

Greek Tomato Cucumber Salad

1. In a large bowl add all of the ingredients and toss together gently.
2. Pour the desired amount of vinaigrette over the salad and toss together.
3. Just before serving top the salad with the crispy chickpeas.
4. Serve immediately.

Notes

The chickpeas will soften the longer they sit in the salad. It is best to add them right before serving or to serve them alongside the salad.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 10mg Sodium: 602mg Carbohydrates: 33g Fiber: 8g Sugar: 11g Protein: 10g

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