This Warm Chickpea Salad is great on its own as an appetizer, or as a side dish with meat or fish. I have even used it as a sauce for spaghetti, and as a topper for toasted whole-wheat baguette slices. Every which way, it’s good. Cooked tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which has been linked to risk reduction for prostate cancer (AICR), and chickpeas are nutritious little powerhouses, rich in phytonutrients, minerals and the fiber that we all need to keep our systems healthy. If you can, try this recipe with homecooked chickpeas. If you are using canned chickpeas make sure to rinse them off to get rid of extra sodium.

4 servings

12 ingredients

20 min prep

Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 dried red pepper, deseeded and broken into pieces
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (see Ann’s Tips)
  • ½ cup chicken broth, stock, water or chickpea broth
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese  (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons roughly chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
  • Juice of ½ a lemon (optional)
  • Sea salt, to taste

Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a sauté pan or large frying pan. Add the red pepper and the garlic. Cook until the garlic starts to turn golden, then add the shallots. Cook until the shallots have softened and started to take color, about 8 minutes. They should not be burned, just golden.
  2. Add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, and have started to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add a little of the reserved chickpea stock as you cook to keep the pan moist.
  3. Add the drained chickpeas, Parmesan cheese, if using, and stock or broth. Mix well and cook until the sauce looks syrupy and the chickpeas are warmed through. Add the chopped herbs. Mix well, cooking for another minute. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Serve warm.

Chef Tips

If you’re into making your chickpeas from scratch, for an even more delicious salad, try our recipe. It makes roughly the same amount as the 2 cans.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 452; Fat: 18g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 9g; Carbohydrates: 58g; Sugar: 15g; Fiber: 16g; Protein: 19g; Sodium: 962mg

Registered Dietitian Approved

Your recipes, articles, videos, and more content are reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society.

This recipe was originally published on Cook for Your Life. It is used by permission.

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