Tonight’s Dinner: Indian garbanzo bean salad recipe

Garbanzo beans and pita bread go together like ham and cheese. But instead of the usual hummus, why not keep the beans whole and cover them in a dressing full of Indian flavor.

One of my favorite appetizers is hummus and pita bread. The two are not only delicious, they’re quite filling and unbelievably healthy. But just because I like hummus, doesn’t mean I don’t like garbanzo beans in their original chickpea form. I actually like them so much, I always have a can in the cupboard so that I can add them to salads. I’m such a fan, in fact, I don’t think a salad is finished if it doesn’t have a handful of garbanzo beans mixed in. So when Fine Cooking suggested making an entire salad out of garbanzo beans, I jumped right on board.

What makes this salad different from most aren’t the ingredients in the salad, but the ingredients that go on top. A salad can be good if the ingredients are fresh and tasty. But what makes a salad great is its dressing, and this dressing is awesome. Who knew spices that are usually reserved for curries and tikkas would combine to make the perfect salad topping as well? So next time you’re in the mood for a light salad, leave the ranch in the refrigerator and try this Indian-inspired dressing instead.

Indian garbanzo bean salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 (16 ounce) cans garbanzo beans
• 3 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 Japanese cucumber, halved and sliced
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 pita rounds, cut into quarters

Directions:

1. Combine the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and onion in a large bowl.
2. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, cumin, curry powder, salt and pepper in a screwtop jar. Cover and shake vigorously for at least one minute. Pour over the salad mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately with the pita wedges.

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Other chickpea recipes

5-spice chickpea soup
Chickpea and salmon crostini
Spiced chickpeas with a drizzle of honey