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Turkish Chickpea Salad
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In this version of nohut piyazi, or Turkish chickpea salad, we use umami-rich sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes. Their intense flavor, along with sliced red onion, lemon juice and fresh herbs, adds contrast to the backdrop of earthy chickpeas. Aleppo pepper is a coarsely ground red pepper with mild heat and notes of dried fruit and cumin; tangy, fruity, brick-red ground sumac is made from the dried berries of the sumac bush. Both are commonly used in Turkish cooking and are sold in spice shops and most well-stocked supermarkets. If Aleppo pepper isn’t available, substitute with ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and garnish with additional paprika; simply omit the sumac if you cannot find it. This salad is great served as a side to grilled meats, seafood or kebabs, or offer it as a light main course, with warmed flatbread alongside.
4
Servings
Don’t skip the step of heating the chickpeas and seasonings in the microwave and allowing them to cool before completing the salad. The chickpeas expand when warmed; as they cool, they absorb the seasonings so that each bite is flavorful.
40 minutes
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2
15½-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
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3
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
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1
teaspoon ground cumin
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1
teaspoon Aleppo pepper, plus more to serve (see headnote)
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1
teaspoon ground sumac
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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1
small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
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1
medium garlic clove, finely grated
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3
tablespoons lemon juice
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3
oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
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⅓
cup lightly packed fresh basil, thinly sliced
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⅓
cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
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01In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together the chickpeas, oil, cumin, Aleppo pepper, sumac, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and microwave on high until hot, 1½ to 2 minutes. Uncover, stir and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in another medium bowl, stir together the onion, garlic and lemon juice; let stand for at least 10 minutes, or until the chickpeas have cooled.
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02Add the cooled chickpea mixture to the onion mixture, along with the sun-dried tomatoes, basil and parsley. Stir, then taste and season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with additional oil and sprinkle with additional Aleppo pepper.
I love so much about Milk Street! However, not everyone has a microwave. I appreciate when you detail the effect you want, then I can figure a work around