Chickpea & Green Bean Salad
Submitted by cpa99a
Chickpea and green bean salad with two separate garam masala dressings, garlic, cayenne, and fresh ginger. A spiced bean salad served cold or at room temperature.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minThis chickpea and green bean salad uses a clever two-dressing technique. Each bean gets its own vinaigrette seasoned with garam masala, but tailored differently: the chickpea dressing is tangy with white wine vinegar, garlic, and cayenne, while the green bean dressing goes brighter with lemon juice, fresh ginger, and minced onion.
Dressing the chickpeas while they’re still warm is the move that makes this salad work. Warm chickpeas are porous and soak up that garam masala vinaigrette like a sponge. Let them sit for several hours if you can. Cold chickpeas just get coated on the surface, but warm-dressed ones are flavored all the way through.
The green beans need to be shaken dry in a colander until they look almost powdery before the dressing goes on. Any lingering water dilutes the dressing and makes the whole salad watery. Cut them to ¾-inch pieces so they’re bite-sized and mix evenly with the chickpeas.
Combine the two just before serving. This keeps the green beans snappy and prevents them from turning olive-drab in the acid of the chickpea dressing.
Chef Tips
- Garam masala varies widely by brand. Taste your dressing before pouring. Some blends are much more intense than others
- Steam the green beans rather than boiling for better color and crunch retention
- Crushing the garlic rather than mincing releases more of its oils into the dressing
- This salad travels well. Great for potlucks, cookouts, and meal prep
Variations
- Mediterranean spin: Swap the garam masala for ground cumin and add chopped kalamata olives and crumbled feta
- Add grains: Toss in a cup of cooked quinoa to make this a more substantial lunch
Ingredients
Directions
Heat chickpeas in their liquid and drain.
Place in a bowl.
Combine all ingredients for chickpea dressing and pour over chickpeas while they are still warm.
Mix well. Cool, cover and set aside.
Combine all ingredients for green bean dressing.
Wash and trim beans, and cut into ¾ inch long pieces.
Steam or boil beans until just tender.
Drain thoroughly.
Shake them in a colander until they look very dry.
Put beans in a separate bowl from chickpeas and pour bean dressing over them.
Let sit for 5 minutes. Combine the two beans and mix well.
It’s best to let the chickpeas sit in their dressing for several hours before mixing them with the green beans so the chickpeas can absorb the flavors.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Comments
