Falafel night with my Auntie Malka and Uncle Avram was as exotic as it got in my family. The falafel balls were piping hot and fresh, the crunchy cabbage was chopped by hand à la minute, the pitas were warm and the tahini drizzled over it all was creamy and nutty. Since then, tahini has become the darling of chefs internationally, found in everything from cookies and brownies to salmon and salad dressing. No we’re not making falafel today. I’ll leave that highly specialized art to the experts at our local falafel take-out place. This chickpea-tahini salad by Dorie Greenspan in her wonderful book, Everyday Dorie: the Way I Cook, modified ever so slightly by me, combines some of the best flavors in a falafel, including chickpeas and tahini, but with some added zest from the red onion, bell pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne.
Chickpea-Tahini Salad
Tahini, also known as “tahina”, has been a supporting player in the cuisines of the Mediterranean and Middle East for millennia. Tahini is basically sesame butter. Most high-quality brands contain just one ingredient: roasted sesame seeds. It’s not as sweet as most nut butters and can be used like peanut butter. You’ve likely encountered it in hummus, baba ghanoush or in halva. Tahini is a very versatile condiment, creamy without dairy and nutty tasting without technical nuts. According to Danielle Oron, author of Modern Israeli Cooking, tahini “should taste good to you raw, straight out of its container”. Tahini made from roasted sesame seeds generally tastes milder than tahini made from raw or unhulled seeds. Tahini fans disagree on the best storage location; some claim it does just fine in the pantry while others recommend refrigeration. One of the special things about sesame seeds is that they contain relatively stable oils with a high concentration of antioxidants, meaning that tahini can last for a long time before it goes rancid. Although its shelf life can vary depending on factors related to how it is made, such as roasting, it will generally stay good for months.
Eaten as a side dish or added to a combination of spinach, arugula or spring mix and eaten as a main course for lunch or a light dinner, this easy-to-make salad is going to become a regular feature on your menu.
Assemble your ingredients. This salad contains just a few components. Use about 5 cups of cooked chickpeas, either from a can or one pound of dried chickpeas. I chop the peppers and purple onion using an alligator to get uniform pieces purely for esthetics. Dicing them by hand is absolutely fine. Add the chopped purple onion and diced colored peppers to the chickpeas.
To make the dressing: Add the tahini to a bowl and whisk in the water until the mixture is smooth. The tahini and water will appear curdled at first. Just keep stirring. It will became smooth. Grate the zest of only one lemon over the tahini-water mixture. Squeeze the juice from both lemons and add to the dressing. Add the rest of the ingredients to the dressing and make adjustments to the seasoning as desired.
Combine the chickpeas, red onion, peppers and dressing. Stir until the vegetables are well coated. Garnish with parsley if desired. This salad can be made up to three days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Chickpea-Tahini Salad
Chickpeas, red onions, colored bell peppers coated in a creamy tahini dressing seasoned with smoked paprika and cumin.
Ingredients
- Dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini (stirred before measuring)
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 2 lemons
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salad
- 5 cups of cooked chickpeas, (from 1 pound of dried beans or use canned) drained
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
Instructions
Dressing: Put the tahini in a bowl and add water slowly, whisking as you pour. The tahini will appear curdled and then it will smooth out. Grate the zest of one lemon over the tahini and add the juice from both lemons. Add the remaining ingredients and sample the dressing to taste seasoning. Adjust if necessary.
Salad: Add all the salad ingredients together. Pour the tahini dressing over the salad ingredients using a spatula to stir the components and coat the chickpeas and vegetables thoroughly with the dressing.
Notes
You can enjoy the salad immediately. It also stays fresh in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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