Frizzled Chickpea Salad

 

“Frizzled” might not seem like a real word but I promise it is, and once you cook these onions with these chickpeas, you’ll understand there is no other way to describe them. Not quite fried, not quite caramelized, they sizzle and crisp and caramelize in a good amount of olive oil along with smashed garlic, resulting in what can only be described as frizzled.

This is good once you stop there, but adding fresh herbs makes this a truly dreamy dish that I have eaten as my main meal more than once, nuzzled up next to a very runny, crispy-edged fried egg, roasted chicken, or in between bites of a hot dog. Add cheese or yogurt if you like, but these chickpeas can truly hold their own without.

YIELD — 4–6 servings

 

Ingredients

  • 1⁄2 cup olive oil

  • 1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed

  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

  • 2 cups mixed fresh herbs (leaves and tender stems), such as parsley, cilantro, dill or mint (the bulk of which should be parsley and/or cilantro)

  • 2 tablespoons marjoram or oregano leaves (optional)

  • 2 ounces feta, very thinly sliced or crumbled; or 1 cup seasoned Greek yogurt or labne, for serving (all optional)

  • Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened, and is just starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat in the oily business. Continue to cook, shaking the skillet occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking and that the chickpeas are getting equal attention from the oil and heat, until the chickpeas are golden brown and appear fried around the edges and the onion is a deep golden brown and looks somewhere between fried and caramelized, a term we now call “frizzled,” 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Taste a chickpea or two and make sure it’s plenty seasoned, adding salt, pepper, and/or a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like things on the spicier side.

4. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl. Top chickpeas with all the herbs. If using, serve with feta or yogurt, as well as lemon wedges for squeezing over.

DO AHEAD: Chickpeas can be made a few hours ahead, kept covered loosely at room temperature. Feel free to reheat in a skillet over medium-high heat before serving, as they’ll lose a bit of their crispness as they sit.


beans / rice / grains, newsletterAlison RomanComment