Healthy Warm Chickpea Salad

This post is sponsored by Luke’s Local.

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the greater part of my adult life, I’ve always loved how the area lends itself to supporting local business. Recently I had the chance to visit the test kitchen of Luke’s Local, a San Francisco favorite. Luke’s Local is on a mission to help busy people eat well. Not only did I get a first-hand look at the birthplace of all their scrumptious ideas, I met with their executive chef, Paula McDade, to learn how to make a delicious and healthy warm chickpea salad.

Luke Chappell of Luke’s Local has been passionate about food his entire life. At age 11 he produced organic bagels for a local store 7 days a week. Unlike most grocery businesses, Luke’s Local began as a delivery service and now has a store in the Cole Valley area of San Francisco. They employ a small and passionate team of individuals. In my time spent with Paula, you can feel her passion for food in the way she moves in the kitchen. It’s not a surprise that one of the places she’s worked at is Gramercy Tavern (a NYC favorite). Her passion lies in flavor, locally sourced produce, and respect for the ingredients. She describes her Warm Chickpea Salad recipe (below) as a healthy and tender way to use chickpeas.

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How to Prepare Chickpeas

4 servings, 1 hour cook time.

If you prefer to use dried chickpeas (yes, please!) you’ll need to prep them first. If you’re using canned you can skip to the salad recipe.
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Fun Fact
Chickpeas will double their weight through soaking and cooking so one cup will end up as 3 cups.
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[three_fourth_last]Ingredients[pullquote_right]The trio of onion, carrot, and celery are the foundation of flavor, also known as mirepoix.[/pullquote_right]
1 cup of dry chickpeas, soaked for at least 6 hours or use quick soak method below.
4 cups fresh water
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 celery stalk, washed
1 small, peeled carrot
1 bay leaf
½ cup olive oil
About a ¼ cup of kosher salt. For table salt, cut the amount in half.

The trio of onion, carrot, and celery are the foundation of flavor, also known as mirepoix. You can also use fennel, leeks, or add fresh herbs like thyme or sage. These all lend really well this cooking technique.
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Quick Soak Method
Use a taller, narrow pot and add chickpeas. Cover the chickpeas with 3 cups of cold water and bring it up to a boil. Once it’s boiling, shut off the heat and cover it with a lid. 20 minutes later, they are ready to cook.
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Method
1. Once chickpeas are ready, drain the water they’ve been sitting in.
2. Add 4 cups fresh water and all the veggies. Make sure everything is covered with water.
3. Bring to a boil on high heat. Once it starts boiling, turn down the heat to medium / medium-low.
4. Come back every 15 minutes or so to give a stir and add more water if it looks like it’s getting too low. (You want the chickpeas at the bottom of the pot to cook at the same rate as the ones sitting on top, so stirring is important.)
5. After 40-45 minutes, add in salt an oil. This is when the chickpeas will absorb the flavor most effectively!
6. After 1 hour, your chickpeas should be done. The starch will be cooked out of them and they should be tender – not mushy but not hard either.
7. Take them off the heat and let them cool down in their liquid, which is full of flavor and will continue to flavor the chickpeas the more they sit. The fat from the olive oil will also help keep them longer so you don’t want to throw out the liquid.
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Warm Chickpea Salad with Yogurt-Tahini Dressing

4 Servings, 30 minutes cook time.

This warm salad is a healthy and satisfying way to use tender and delicious chickpeas. Slightly spicy and garlicky with a hit of fresh lemon really brings this salad to life. Topped with a creamy yogurt and tahini dressing and served over a bed of fresh baby spinach.
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[three_fourth_last]Salad Ingredients
2 cup drained chickpeas, homemade or canned with 3 tbsp of chickpea liquid reserved
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp red chili flake
4 cups baby spinach
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Yogurt-tahini dressing (below)

Yogurt-Tahini Dressing
1 cup yogurt
3 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
Juice of half lemon
1 tsp chopped parsley

Combine all dressing ingredients and whisk together. Adjust with salt and lemon, if needed.

Assemble the Salad

1. Heat a frying pan on medium heat with 1 tbsp of olive oil until the oil looks shimmery.
2. Add in the chickpeas, at first without the liquid
3. Stir in the garlic and the chili with a pinch of salt.
4. Stir in the reserved liquid. Then let it simmer without stirring for one minute.
5. Take off the heat and add in the red onion and parsley, stir
6. Put the baby spinach down on a platter and spread it out to cover the bottom
7. Spoon the chickpeas over the kale
8. Drizzle the yogurt-tahini dressing over the top of the salad.
9. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over the top and finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
10. Serve immediately.
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[pullquote_right]Receive $25 off your first order using the code HEJDOLL25 at checkout.[/pullquote_right]The thing that really stands out to me about Luke’s Local is their commitment to their own values. They believe in environmental sustainability on every level. Luke’s sources their food from local organic farms and other local small businesses. At the same time they inspire the community around them via their Cole Valley store, their Commons Program events and classes, and same day grocery delivery.

Luke’s Local offers delivery, including: local produce, restaurant quality meals, locally baked goods, as well as offering a catering service. Their delivery service is available 7 days a week in the San Francisco Bay Area via their Luke’s Local App. To receive $25 off your first order using the code HEJDOLL25 at checkout.

Photography by Sarah Hettervik for Hej Doll. Pottery by Julia Lemke of Earthen.

This post is sponsored by Luke’s Local, a San Francisco favorite located in Cole Valley. Thank you for helping to support the sponsors who make life here at Hej Doll a little better.