Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Directions

1. (If using quinoa, prepare the quinoa first while you make the rest of the salad. You can also make extra and refrigerate or freeze for another day)
2. Rinse the chickpeas and allow to drain well while you prepare the rest of the salad.
3. In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, and a few spins of freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside while you chop the veggies. (I make the dressing in the bowl I’ll serve this in to save dishes. Alternatively, wish or shake the dressing ingredients in a mason jar and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.)
4. Chop the cucumber, tomatoes, and olives to be about the same size as the chickpeas (about 1/4-inch in size).
5. Finely chop the red onion.
6. Chiffonade the herbs into shreds by stacking the leaves and rolling them up, then slicing them the short way into 1/8-inch shreds (Or simply shred or tear them into small pieces.)
7. Add the drained chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and onions to the bowl of dressing. Toss to coat all of the ingredients with the dressing. Add the fresh herbs and feta cheese if using and toss one more time.
8. Taste and add another sprinkle of salt if needed. It’s ready to eat right away, although it gains flavor when it sits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the veggies to absorb some of the dressing. Serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Credit:  Lisa Dahl