Fry

Roasted Chickpea Salad with Za'atar

by:
April  8, 2014
4.5
4 Ratings
Roasted Chickpea Salad with Za'atar
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Za'atar is one of my favorite spice blends; It’s full of flavor, and goes perfectly with mint and lemon. This recipe blends crunchy vegetables with garbanzo beans that have been roasted with za'atar. It’s very easy and quick to make, and can be eaten both warm and cold. If desired, add some crumbled feta cheese for creaminess. —Shruti Jain

Test Kitchen Notes

We're longtime fans of roasted garbanzos, but za'atar takes them, and this vibrant salad, in a delightfully different direction. Once the ingredients are assembled, this salad comes together quickly. The garbanzos offer a deep flavor that is highlighted by the zesty lemon juice and the refreshing notes of fennel and cabbage. The colors of the salad are as enticing as its flavors.

This was a perfect light dinner for two of us, and the leftovers held up beautifully as lunch the next day. —lmikkel

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 14-ounce can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons za'atar
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest of
  • 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup mint, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 250° F.
  2. In a bowl, mix chickpeas with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, then add the salt, za’atar, black pepper, lemon juice, and zest. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Pour the canola oil into a deep-sided pan and heat it to 350° F. Fry the shallots until red and crunchy, then transfer them to a paper towel to drain.
  4. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Add in the garlic, stir, then add the carrot, fennel, and red cabbage. Cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Remove pan from the heat and add the roasted chickpeas, mint, raisins, and maple syrup. Mix well. Add feta cheese, if desired. Taste and add more vinegar, lemon, or salt if needed. Garnish with fried shallots.
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26 Reviews

Sarrona
Sarrona January 20, 2024
This recipe is so good we can eat it for days and still crave it! My sis in law made it for us and did not send home enough left overs so I’m making it tomorrow 😊
 
Karen B.
Karen B. August 23, 2022
Yummy. We've substituted dried currants or dried cranberries for the raisins....gives a brighter taste. Best at room temperature.
 
EmJu
EmJu May 17, 2019
Easy recipe and really good dinner for 2. My husband was surprised and loved it. Will make it again. As other did, I also broiled the chickpeas a little longer.
 
Madeline G.
Madeline G. January 12, 2019
I actually cooked down the red cabbage a bit more to cut the bitterness. Yummy, and would definitely suggest to eat with a little feta or yogurt. Thank you for sharing!
 
Alex
Alex May 11, 2016
Yumm!! Left out the fennel and raisins, broiled the chickpeas for a few extra minutes. Surprisingly good!! I'll definitely be making this again.
 
marynn
marynn August 26, 2015
Flat out fabulous! The mint scented the entire kitchen. Thank you!








 
Shalini
Shalini May 12, 2015
I made the chickpeas last night, and then high-heat roasted them for an extra 10 minutes. My salad had feta, baby kale and chard and spinach, and grape tomatoes. Your chickpeas were the star, though, and my 9 year old had four helpings! Thanks.
 
Sherre
Sherre May 12, 2015
This+is+the+first+recipe+I+have+tried+from+Food52.+Delicious+combination+of+flavor.+I+will+make+this+again.
 
Renee
Renee February 5, 2015
I hope this isn't sacrilegious, but when I made this recipe the firs time (awesome by the way), I scooped a mouthful of the chickpeas pre-cabbage. They are divine. Swoon. So I just made the chickpeas the second time, and put in some sliced raw radish and celery. I ate about 3 cups straight.
 
Dara O.
Dara O. February 1, 2015
Just made this- it's wonderful. I like that you can substitute within it- I skipped shallots (didn't have them) and added green cabbage because I had more of that than red cabbage. I ran out of zaatar midway so added some sumac. I will definitely make this again. Also, I started with dried chickpeas, so I didn't measure anything, and it was still delicious. Thank you for a delicious veg recipe!
 
Shruti J.
Shruti J. February 5, 2015
Thanks so much. Really Glad that you liked the recipe.
 
Pepper_Pod
Pepper_Pod September 15, 2014
Brilliant! Just loved this recipe. I had to make my own za'atar, so not sure what the results would taste like with authentic za'atar, but I stilled loved the results. Wanting to make this based on what was on hand, I had to make some substitutes but they worked great: broccoli florets for fennel; chopped prunes for raisins, and lime for lemon. The substitutions worked great as I think Shruti Jain's recipe is a brilliant base to explore other combinations. I also left out the maple syrup and served with greek-style yogurt instead. My husband loved this dish and the colors are divine. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
 
Linda B.
Linda B. May 4, 2014
Does this recipe have brussel sprouts in it? The second picture looks like it.
 
Shruti J.
Shruti J. May 5, 2014
Hi Linda...Yes this picture is an old one. Brussel sprouts taste very good with this recipe. You can add any kind of veggies you want to this recipe :)
 
david2308
david2308 May 3, 2014
Also there's mention of vinegar and feta in the directions but not in the ingredient list...
 
Shruti J.
Shruti J. May 4, 2014
Most of my recipes are vegan, so I always give cheese as an option in the procedure and not include it in the list of ingredients. Similarly vinegar is just an option at the end. The recipe says if desired. Can always use more lemon/ apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar depending on the taste you want.
 
david2308
david2308 May 3, 2014
Just wanted to check that the chickpeas need to be roasted at 250, seems low???
Also I don't understand heating the canola oil in a pan to 350F???
I assume the shallots can be fried in a cast iron pan and the same pan can then be used for the other vegetables???
 
Shruti J.
Shruti J. May 4, 2014
At the temp of 250, the chickpeas cooks to a perfect texture. It get roasted on the top and mushy in the inside. But feel free to try to bake at 350 F for may be 5 minutes. I personally prefer baking it at 250F :)For Sautéing veggies and frying shallots you can definitely use one pan.
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen May 1, 2014
sounds really great!
 
Joohee
Joohee April 30, 2014
Beautiful colors and flavors. How would this be as a cold, uncooked salad, leaving the carrots, fennel, and cabbage raw?
 
healthierkitchen
healthierkitchen May 1, 2014
That sounds like a good idea, too!
 
russeaime
russeaime June 1, 2015
I made it raw and thought it was fantastic. I prefer raw cabbage, akin to a coleslaw. I added a little more lemon and salt to the mixture before I put the chickpeas in to help the mixture "marinate."
 
Sweta
Sweta April 10, 2014
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! It tasted really good. Yummm!
 
Shubham G.
Shubham G. April 9, 2014
Yum yum
 
Manisha
Manisha April 9, 2014
So colorful!
 
savorthis
savorthis April 8, 2014
What striking colors!