Tomato Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Recipe

A Fresh Way to Use Summer Tomatoes –

Tomato Salad with Chickpeas and Feta Recipe

Peak summer eating doesn’t get much easier than this summertime fresh tomato salad. Ripe, in-season tomatoes are best, but if they are not in their prime, the simple technique of salting them first will draw out maximum flavor. Roasted nuts and seeds are excellent pantry items and make a perfect no-cook, savory-sweet crisp topping. The nut-seed-spice mixture is completely flexible; use what you have on hand, and add aromatic seeds like nigella or fennel if you like. The store-bought granola is optional, but it adds a surprising sweetness and even more crunch. (Opt for one that is as plain as possible and without dried fruits or chocolate.) Make extra topping and keep it in an airtight jar for sprinkling over salads and roasted vegetables.

Ingredients:

FOR THE SALAD

• 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), cut into roughly 1- to 2-inch pieces

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

• 1 (7-ounce) block feta cheese, crumbled

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• Handful of basil leaves

FOR THE CRISP TOPPING

• ¼ cup roasted, salted shelled sunflower seeds, roughly chopped (see Tip)

• ¼ cup roasted, salted pepitas, roughly chopped

• ¼ cup roasted, salted almonds, roughly chopped

• ¼ cup roasted, salted pistachios, roughly chopped

• ½ cup plain oat granola (no fruit or chocolate added), roughly chopped (optional)

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

• ¼ to ½ teaspoon chile powder or red-pepper flakes

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Place tomatoes into a large bowl and add the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Using your hands or a large spoon, gently toss the tomatoes so that everything is evenly coated. Let the tomatoes sit for about 10 minutes. (The salt will draw out flavor from the tomatoes.)
2. Meanwhile make the topping: Combine the sunflower seeds, pepitas, almonds, pistachios, granola if using, sesame seeds, chile powder and salt. Toss to combine. Season with a few turns of black pepper and stir everything together.
3. Add the chickpeas, feta, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to the tomatoes and toss to combine. Taste and adjust olive oil, salt and pepper to your liking. Tear up basil leaves and sprinkle on top.
4. To serve, transfer tomatoes to a serving platter or individual bowls. When you are ready to eat, sprinkle with the crisp topping.

Tips:

• You can use unsalted roasted nuts and seeds, but you’ll need to add more salt to the mixture.
• Reduce the Salt because there is enough with the Feta cheese.
• In lieu of oat granola, use 1/2 – 1 cup of quinoa.  I would use a dry skillet and toast the quinoa until just golden brown, before cooking as directed.
• Serve on a bed of arugula.
• You could squeeze just a bit of lemon juice (1Tbl) over the tomatoes to pull out more flavor.
• More flavorful on the second day. I enjoyed it with boiled eggs and canned tuna.

This recipe is from the NYTimes Cooking section by Hetty Lui McKinnon.