Chickpea Salad with Fennel & Orange (Warm or Cold)
It's very refreshing but satisfying! It can be served at any temperature either warm, cold, or room temperature. It's perfect by itself as a salad, but it's also good as a side dish or healthy snack! It's vegan and potentially gluten free (make sure to check the ingredients of Dijon mustard you are using.)*Total Time does not include Inactive Time (soaking chickpeas)
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Cooking Chickpeas
- 1 heaping cup dried chickpeas soaked in water for 8-12 hours
- 6 cups water (for cooking)
The Dressing
- 1/2 tbsp orange zest (about 1 navel orange)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1-2 navel oranges)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
The Rest
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp finely diced fennel bulb
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
Instructions
- After soaking chickpeas for 8-12 hours (we soak for 12 hours), drain and discard the chickpea soaking water. Rinse well and drain. Transfer to a medium pot. Add water (6 cups or fill up 2 inches above from the chickpeas.) Turn the stove on high heat to bring it to boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 45 minutes or so until they are tender but not mushy.
- In the meantime, make the dressing. In a large prep bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly pour extra virgin olive oil to emulsify. Set aside.
- Once chickpeas are cooked and tender, use a colander to drain well. Set aside.
- Add fennel bulb and red onion into the bowl, then transfer the chickpeas to the bowl as well while they are still warm. Mix well.
- Serve immediately as a warm salad or let it cool down to serve at room temperature. Or after cooling down, let it marinate in the fridge for at least for 4-6 hours and serve as a cold salad.
Notes
- It tastes even better when served cold after the chickpeas are marinated in the fridge to soak up all the flavors. As for the cold salad, it’s best to consume within 2-3 days.
- Typically, the longer you soak chickpeas, the faster they cook. So, if you soak them for 8 hours (versus 12 hours as we do) you many need to cook them longer than 45 minutes.
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