We served this dish during a steamy July evening in Bar Harbor. Our community raved and we were thrilled to not have to fire up the oven or stove in the kitchen! We originally found the recipe on one of our FAVORITE vegetarian food blogs, Cookie and Kate. She calls it “Jessica’s Marinated Chickpeas,” after her friend Jessica who wrote a book called The Pretty Dish. We encourage you to check out both of these amazing resources!
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
⅔ cup chopped roasted red peppers (I used most of a 12-ounce jar)
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped fresh basil
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey
4 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (scale back significantly if sensitive to spice)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, red peppers, feta and basil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Pour the dressing over the chickpeas and stir. Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, for best flavor. The salad keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Recipe from The Pretty Dish by Jessica Merchant.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE: Kate recommends replacing the feta with sliced Kalamata olives and/or sliced pepperoncini peppers, to taste. They won’t make up for the creaminess of the feta, though.
CHANGE IT UP: Jessica suggests that you can substitute cannellini or great Northern beans for the chickpeas.
