Mediterranean Chickpea Salad...

I have been meaning to make this healthy, awesome-to-goodness salad after trying it during a visit to my friend chef David in Belleville. He met Alan, a regular customer at his dim sum stand in the Belleville farmer's market and they quickly became friends. Being an avid cook himself, Alan was bringing all sorts of foods he whipped up for David to try. That weekend, he brought up a chickpea salad made with many ingredients from his garden and after one bite I knew I was in love. Filled with all sorts of goodness, I adapted it to create my own recipe replacing flat leaf parsley for dill and roasted red peppers with sun-dried tomatoes. What ever ingredients you enjoy, this salad is highly versatile to customize to your own liking, and when bathed in this dressing, it will turn out, no doubt incredibly delicious!

Alan's gorgeous salad and a samosa from David's stand.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Makes 6 servings

2 cans (540 mL) chickpeas, well drained and rinsed (*or use 1 can and 1/2 the recipe)
1/2 green pepper. chopped
1 tomato, cut into wedges, then into bite-size pieces, removing seeds
1/4 medium red onion, small diced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato strips, packed in oil (can keep or remove excess oil)
skin from half lemon, cut into thin strips
a handful of dill sprigs, stem removed, chopped
Dressing:
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all the main ingredients into a large bowl. Mix all the dressing ingredients and toss with salad. Let chill in fridge for an hour to let the flavours meld before serving. Adjust seasoning and add more dressing as required.

Peel lemon skin and chop into strips or use finer lemon zest.

The culmination of colourful sweet vegetables, aromatic dill and tart lemon rind mixed with protein-rich chickpeas in a tangy dressing makes a satisfying healthy meal in itself, a nice side salad or packed for lunch the next day. Give it a try as a fabulous alternative to yet another lacklustre sandwich!