Chickpea Salad with Charred Lemon and Asparagus
Every once in a while I develop a recipe that gets me really excited. Spoiler alert: this Chickpea Salad with Charred Lemon and Asparagus is one of them. I’m excited about this recipe because, one, it’s so tasty, and two, it is so darn simple to make. The charred lemon really makes all the flavours pop and gives a sophisticated profile to an otherwise quite basic dish—ugh, I’m in love!
Table of Contents
- Chickpea Salad Ingredients
- Step 1—Prepare the Charred Lemon “Vinaigrette”
- Step 2—Cook the Halloumi
- Step 3—Toss the Chickpea Salad and Serve
- More Easy Salads to Try
Chickpea Salad Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons diced lemon
- 1 large garlic clove, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup asparagus, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 200 grams halloumi cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Fresh black pepper
Step 1—Prepare the Charred Lemon “Vinaigrette”
The charred lemon “vinaigrette” is really the pièce de résistance of this salad. As you may have noticed, the salad ingredients are quite simplistic, but the act of charring the lemon with the olive oil to create a lemony infused “vinaigrette” to coat all the other ingredients adds extra depth and complexity to the flavour profile of this dish. I call this a “vinaigrette” in quotations because you prepare it all in a frying pan, and it’s really more of an infused oil than a vinaigrette.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, pour in the olive oil and give the pan a good shake to distribute the oil. Add the diced lemon to the hot pan and cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the lemons are slightly browned. Season liberally with sea salt and fresh black pepper.
Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Once the garlic has softened and started to brown ever so slightly, add the asparagus and cook for a further three minutes. The goal is for the asparagus to be slightly browned but still crisp.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the contents into a medium salad bowl. Set it aside while you prepare the halloumi.
Step 2—Cook the Halloumi
To save on dishes and time, we’re going to fry the halloumi in the same pan we just used. Make sure any lemon or other ingredient remnants have been scraped out of the pan, then return it to the heat. Add a small splash of olive oil, then fry the halloumi until golden brown on all sides. I find two minutes per side will usually do the trick, depending on how hot your pan is, so just keep an eye on it.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the golden halloumi to the salad bowl with the charred lemon vinaigrette and asparagus.
Step 3—Toss the Chickpea Salad and Serve
And now for the grand finale, time to toss the salad! To the salad bowl, add the chickpeas and fresh parsley. Season the salad with sea salt and fresh black pepper, then squeeze over some fresh lemon juice. This is a measure with your heart situation.
Using a large spoon, toss everything together to ensure the ingredients are dispersed and well coated in the lemon vinaigrette.
Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to four days. This salad is best enjoyed right after it’s prepared, but it makes a delicious leftover too. The halloumi will just harden a bit with refrigeration.
More Easy Salads to Try
If you loved this Chickpea Salad, be sure to try these other simple and delicious salad recipes:
Spring Lentil Salad with Arugula, Peas, and Radishes
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! I love to see what you all are making.
Feel free to leave any questions, comments, or reviews below. I love to hear from you!
Until next time,
xx
Ashley
Chickpea Salad with Charred Lemon and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons diced lemon, with the rind on
- 1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup asparagus, chopped
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 200 grams halloumi cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- Fresh lemon juice
- Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil, then add the diced lemon, tossing to coat in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the lemon is lightly golden.
- Add the thinly sliced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the chopped asparagus to the pan and toss to coat in the oil. Season everything with sea salt and fresh black pepper, then continue to cook for about three minutes, or until the asparagus is lightly browned but still crisp.
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the charred lemon and asparagus mixture into a medium salad bowl, making sure to scrape out as much of the oil as you can. To the salad bowl, add the chickpeas. Set it aside while you prepare the halloumi.
- Return the pan to the heat. You can add a bit of extra olive oil here if you are worried about the halloumi sticking. Transfer the cubed halloumi to the hot pan and fry until golden, turning every two or so minutes, depending on how hot your pan is. Once golden, remove from the heat and transfer the halloumi to the salad bowl with the chickpeas, charred lemon, and asparagus.
- Top the salad with fresh parsley, a squish of fresh lemon juice, sea salt, and fresh black pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat everything in the charred lemon dressing. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to four days.
So yummy! Will make again
So glad you liked it! <3