Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Salad with Feta & Fennel

Every now and then, you come across a recipe that is so good it sabotages your attempts to try other recipes. No, your brain says, I just want you to make THAT again.

This is what happened with this chickpea recipe. I was looking for inspiration for vegetarian dishes, and I came across several chickpea salads. I started with this one inspired by Becki’s Whole Life, making some adjustments based on what I had in the house—and I was instantly hooked. And in trouble. The other recipes are languishing on my Pinterest page.

I now keep fresh fennel in the house at all times—it’s permanently on my grocery list. And this recipe gives you the wonderful excuse to buy fresh basil, which for some reason I often don’t buy even though I love it. It was as if I had deep-seated questions about my worth when it came to basil. Thanks to this recipe, that issue is now fixed! Much cheaper than a therapist. I am a person who deserves fresh basil. And so are you.

So I think you should try this recipe without further ado.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Salad with Feta & Fennel

Makes 4 servings. *Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

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Ingredients

  

• 2 cans chickpeas
• 4 Tbsp chopped sundried tomatoes
• 4 Tbsp basil pesto
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 large fennel bulb
• 1/2 5- oz. pkg. baby arugula
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

 

• Juice lemon. Chop basil, parsley, and fennel. Combine all ingredients except arugula and vinaigrette and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes.
• When ready to eat, top arugula with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette and chickpea mixture.

 Now, in addition to eating this stuff straight out of the bowl with a spoon, I’ve come up with several serving ideas that are incredibly satisfying:

• Serve over arugula or romaine lettuce with Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette.
• Serve with toasted walnuts, sharp cheddar cheese, and Applegate Naturals uncured pepperoni.
• Serve with this awesome Antipasto Platter dreamed up by my friend the Cooking Diva. It makes a great dinner entrée that is both elegant and delicious.