Smashed Chickpea Salad

This is another recipe that I've been meaning to make for about a year. I first saw this on Smitten Kitchen and thought it looked so simple, healthy, and delicious. Finally this past weekend I made it.

While chopping and rinsing vegetables I thought of my friend who married me and Seth. This is a dish she would love. She was always bringing into work some sort of amazing salad. And for the most part she just did these off the top of her head! For pot luck lunches she would share salads with combinations that I wouldn't think of; always healthy, always delicious. So this one is for you J.M.! I think you will really like it! :)

I ate some of this on rosemary bread and found it to be a little tough to eat as a sandwich. The next day I did the same and ate it open face and that worked pretty well. The last day I added a big scoop on top of my salad and that was great too! Very versatile!!

Unsmashed...

Smashed!

Smashed Chickpea Salad
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Yield: About 4

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons pitted, halved and very thinly sliced black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Zest and juice from half a lemon
Couple good pinches of salt
A few grinds of black pepper
A few glugs of olive oil (the original is quite oily, like bread-soaking oily, I went a little lighter. Both ways are delicious)

Mix everything but the olive oil in a small to midsize bowl. Very lightly smash the chickpea mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher. You’re not looking for a hummus-like puree but something closer to a coarse chop with a few smaller bits to hold it together. Add the glugs of olive oil, mix it lightly and enjoy.