Olio's Chickpea Salad


chickpea salad from olio in botanical heights
chickpea salad photo by carmen troesser

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
8 cups cooked chickpeas
¹∕³ cup chopped cilantro
¹∕³ cup chopped mint
¹∕³ cup chopped parsley
¹∕³ cup chopped caramelized onions (optional)
¹∕³ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¹∕³ cup pitted and chopped Suri or Castelvetrano olives
¹∕³ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped preserved lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
Braised lamb shoulder (recipe here)



Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

• Char the peppers over a flame until blackened on all sides, about 20 minutes. Place the peppers in a large zip-top bag and let steam until the skins are easy to remove, about 5 minutes. Use a knife to scrape off the skin, cut the peppers in half, scrape out the seeds and remove the stems.  

• Oil the baking sheet and add the peppers in an even layer. Roast 12 minutes to dry, then let cool. 

• Cut peppers into strips or dice them.

• In a large bowl, stir together the peppers, chickpeas, cilantro, mint and parsley. Fold in the onions, olive oil, olives, vinegar, preserved lemon and cumin. Serve topped with braised lamb shoulder.