Tomato and Seared Garbanzo Salad

Garden fresh tomatoes meet the humble can of beans in this healthy, protein-rich salad. Two additional pantry items supply unparalleled flavor with ease.🍅

Schools may be back in session and pools may have closed for the year, but salad season hasn’t officially ended!

Besides, tomatoes are still at their prime－I seem to pick more tomatoes from our garden in early September than in any other month⇩⇩－plus they make a rather stellar meal when paired with a can of beans from your pantry.

Easy as it is, this recipe derives an abundance of flavor from a quick sear of the beans and one (perhaps unexpected) spice.

A brief sear in a hot skillet removes the raw taste of the beans and infuses them with flavor. This step adds appeal to my younger son, who is otherwise ambivalent towards these little legumes.

The goal is to toast and flavor the beans. They should have a hint of exterior crispness and caramelization while maintaining tenderness on the inside.

My husband likes to pick at the cooked beans from the pan. Truly, I could serve the toasty beans as is, and everyone would approve. (Note to self: do that!)

Stirring in the cumin seeds as the beans finish their stint in the pan lightly toasts the seeds and infuses the olive oil with earthy flavor.

In a pinch, ground cumin could be use instead, but I urge you to try the seeds. When toasted, they become lightly crisp and aromatic. The resulting flavor is bold yet fresher and smoother than when using the ground counterpart.

Once you have the cumin seeds in hand, I urge you to try them in this recipe for Nepali Lentils, which is another outstanding plant-based meal that even the most ardent meat lovers are likely to enjoy.

Added convenience comes from mixing the simple vinaigrette in the serving bowl – and that can be done hours before serving, if that’s helpful to you. The flavor from the sherry vinegar is delightful, so use it if you can. If you’re looking for a substitute, try apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, perhaps with a small pinch of sugar to account for the touch of sweetness inherent to the sherry vinegar.

Serve this salad as a light dinner or lunch, or a hearty side to your favorite protein. The flavors meld over time, making leftovers surprisingly satisfying.

If looking to fiddle a bit, you could stir in some cooked corn and/or tender greens. In that case, you may wish to make a little extra dressing. And if you plan on leftovers, choose a green that will hold up overnight, like baby spinach.

Tomato and Seared Garbanzo Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Garden fresh tomatoes meet the humble can of beans in this healthy, protein-rich salad. Two additional pantry items (cumin seeds and sherry vinegar) supply unparalleled flavor in this truly simple dish.

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For the salad:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and well drained
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (could substitute ground cumin)
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (or a mix of basil, cilantro and/or chives)

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (could use minced onion)
• ¼ teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

For the vinaigrette: Place the oil, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper in a serving bowl and whisk to combine. Prep ahead tip: at this point, the vinaigrette can rest as room temperature for up to 2 hours.

For the salad: Pat the rinsed and drains beans dry. (For ease, I like to dump them in a tea towel and roll them around for a few seconds.) Drying the beans will reduce popping while cooking.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (a 12-inch diameter allows room to spread the beans out) over medium-high heat. Add the garbanzo beans and spread into a single layer. (Tip: If you have a spatter guard, it will keep the area around your burner clean.) Cook undisturbed until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir, sprinkle evenly with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and spread the beans out again. Cook for another 2 minutes, then stir and spread out again as needed, until golden-brown, adding the cumin in the final minute to lightly toast it. From start to finish, cooking the beans will take 6 to 7 minutes. Taste for doneness: you want the beans to be flavorful and just a tad crisp on the outside but still a little soft in the middle. Remove from the heat.

Add the cooked bean mixture (scraping out the cumin seeds – they taste great!), tomatoes, and parsley to the vinaigrette in the bowl, and toss to combine.

Notes:

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Adapted From: The Kitchn

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