Chickpea, Olive and Feta Salad with Chat Masala Dressing

I'm trying to switch cooking gears from warming soups to cool and refreshing salads after summer made a quick and dazzling appearance after what seemed like a long cold winter and short cool spring. My first thought upon the arrival of hot weather was to make a simple chickpea salad with some fresh crunchy vegetables and my favorite Kalamata olives and sheep milk Feta cheese from a local Greek grocer — easy, nourishing and delicious with tantalizing contrasts of texture and color.

Using quality ingredients always makes these summer bean salads appealing, but what makes this salad different is the use of an Indian spice blend in the dressing. It may seem odd to combine an Indian spice blend with Mediterranean salad ingredients, but chat (or chaat) masala is such a vibrant spice blend that it deserves a wider scope than in just Indian food. A combination of dried mango powder, black salt and various seeds and spices, chat masala is hot, sour and salty all at the same time and goes wonderfully with cool or tangy foods — like a summer salad!

Good pre-blended and packaged chat masalas are easily available at Indian grocers, but you can make your own authentic spice blend that will keep for months using this recipe here.

Chickpea, Olive and Feta Salad with Chat Masala Dressing

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on May 25, 2015 Simple, colorful and refreshing summer chickpea salad with a zesty chat masala dressing Print this recipe Salad: 1 cup dried chickpeas (3 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans) 1 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1/2 cup black or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled Dressing: 3 tablespoons olive oil juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon chat masala 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (optional) fresh ground black pepper Instructions: Rinse the chickpeas and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice added. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until soft. Drain and add to a large bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss gently. Serve at room temperature or cold. Makes 6 to 8 servings

This is my contribution to No Croutons Required, a monthly event celebrating soups and salads, alternately hosted by myself and Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes. I am hosting this month's edition. I am also sharing with My Legume Love Affair, a monthly event celebrating legumes. Started by Susan, the event is now administered by me and kindly hosted this month by
Nupur of The Veggie Kitchen.

More summer chickpea salads that you will enjoy:
Chickpea, Olive and Feta Salad
Middle Eastern Chickpea and Olive Salad
Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Chat Masala
Chickpea Salad with Chat Masala, Mango and Pomegranate Seeds

On the top of the reading stack: Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook

Audio: Kiasmos