Chickpea Pita Salad with Sweet and Sour Date Vinaigrette
This Chickpea Pita Salad features radish, cucumber, sugar snap peas, feta, and crisp baked pita chips drowned in a sweet and sour date vinaigrette topped with pickled shallot petals.
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
- 3 shallots peeled, halved and layers separated
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon juiced
- 5 medjool dates
- 3 pieces pita bread cut into cubes
- ¼ + 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt divided
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 tsp sumac
- 1 (540 ml, 18 fl oz.) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 Persian cucumbers quartered and chopped
- 6-7 radishes julienned
- 227g (8oz) sugar snap peas chopped
- 150g (5oz) feta crumbled
- 2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the shallots in a small bowl. Cover with the vinegar and the lemon juice. Set the shallots aside to pickle at room temperature for 3 hours.3 shallots, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 lemon
- When the shallots are nearly finished pickling, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside. Place the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them sit for 15 minutes.5 medjool dates
- While the dates are soaking, place the pita in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1/2 a teaspoon of the salt, and the crushed red pepper flakes. Toss the pita with your hands to ensure it’s evenly coated.3 pieces pita bread, ¼ + 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Transfer the dressed pita to the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the pita is golden. Take the pita out of the oven and set it aside to cool.
- Drain the dates and place them in a large food processor. ** Add the garlic and the remaining olive oil. Turn on the food processor and blitz until a paste forms.5 medjool dates, ¼ + 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Drain the pickled shallots, reserving the pickling liquid. With the food processor set to low, stream in the pickling liquid and blitz until you have a creamy vinaigrette. Pour the dressing into a small bowl and whisk in the remaining salt and the sumac. Chill until ready to serve.1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp sumac
- Place the chickpeas, cucumber, radish, sugar snap peas, feta, dill, mint, and half of the pita chips in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a platter and garnish with the pickled shallots, the remaining pita chips, additional fresh dill and mint leaves, and a sprinkling of sumac. Serve immediately.1 (540 ml, 18 fl oz.) can chickpeas, 2 Persian cucumbers, 6-7 radishes, 227g (8oz) sugar snap peas, 150g (5oz) feta, 2 tbsp fresh dill, 2 tbsp fresh mint
Notes
** Make sure you check your dates for pits. They can harm your food processor.