Greek Chickpea Salad

Step 1

Sort dry beans and remove any pebbles or overly dried beans.

Step 2

Cover chickpeas with water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Alternatively, to quick soak the beans, cover them with water and bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and cover beans for an hour to soften.

Step 3

Drain soaking water and rinse beans.

Step 4

In a large pot, cover the soaked beans with fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in a bay leaf and whole garlic cloves to flavor the beans. If desired, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for some heat.

Step 5

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the beans, partially covered, for 30-45 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises as they cook. The time will be longer if you're using older dried beans or live at higher altitude. Sample a few beans to check doneness before turning off the heat - they should be tender to the bite but not soft.

Step 6

Remove the bay leaf and garlic cloves. Season the beans generously with salt to your liking.

Step 7

In a large salad bowl, combine dressing ingredients.

Step 8

Prep all ingredients that need to be diced and chopped.

Step 9

Toss salad ingredients together in the salad bowl with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld before serving.

Step 10

Serve over fresh arugula, if desired.