MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA WEDGE SALAD

 Mediterranean chickpea wedge salad with hummus dressing is the king of all salads. It's a beautifully presented salad served as a wedge salad on a halved heart of romaine, topped with roasted chickpeas, crunchy vegetables, and a delicious creamy hummus dressing which gives this dish that familiar, deconstructed falafel flavour that is going to blow your mind. Seriously, this is reason enough to keep extra cans of chickpeas on hand! You’ve got to try this one. It's SO good.

INGREDIENTS:

Chickpea Wedge Salad:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts, cut into wedges
• ½ medium cucumber, thinly sliced into half moons
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Hummus Dressing:

• ¼ cup hummus
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• juice from half a lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place drained and rinsed chickpeas on a paper towel or kitchen towel to dry completely. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, olive oil, cumin, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then place on a large half sheet baking pan lined with parchment paper, making sure the chickpeas are in a single layer. 
4. Bake for 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through to ensure they crisp up evenly on all sides. Set aside to cool.
5. Meanwhile, make the hummus dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together hummus, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside. 
6. Slice romaine lettuce hearts in half or in quarters (depending on the size) to create large, individual portions. Place them on one large tray or on individual plates.
7. Top each lettuce heart with equal amounts of cucumber, red onion, and roasted red peppers. Top with heaping spoonfuls of roasted chickpeas. Then, drizzle the hummus dressing on top and garnish with crumbled feta cheese.
8. Serve immediately or at room temperature with some pita bread on the side.