Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Olives, Basil, and Parsley

Ingredients

• 1/2 – 1 cup dried chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 or 3 cups diced plum tomatoes, cut in 1/2 inch pieces then drained
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced into lengthwise slivers
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion or use sliced green onion if you prefer
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 5 T best quality extra virgin olive oil
• 3 T red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. If you’re starting with dried chickpeas, cover them with cold water and leave them to soak overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Pour off the soaking liquid, transfer the chickpeas to a pan with fresh water, and simmer until they’re tender; depending on how fresh they are, that may take 45 minutes or several hours, so leave yourself plenty of time. You can also use a slow cooker or pressure cooker for this part.
2. If you’re using canned chickpeas, empty them into a colander and rinse under cold water until the foaming stops.
3. Whether the chickpeas are freshly cooked or canned, make sure they are very well drained. Put them in a large plastic bowl, add 1 T red wine vinegar and 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and turn everything together so the beans can start soaking up that flavor.
4. Cut up the tomatoes and leave them in a colander to drain while you prepare the onions and olives. Add the drained tomatoes to the chickpeas, along with the chopped onions and sliced olives.
5. Rinse the basil and parsley, then dry them well, either in a salad spinner or with paper towels after washing them in the sink.
6. Chop the herbs finely, add them to the bowl, and fold the salad together gently.
7. In a small bowl or a glass measuring cup, combine 3 T red wine vinegar with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing comes together smoothly.
8. Mix the salt and pepper into the dressing.
9. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir carefully to coat everything. Taste, then adjust with more salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed.
10. Before serving, the salad may sit at room temperature for 1 hour or 2 to let the flavors blend. Leftovers can be refrigerated with decent results, but the texture and flavor are best before the salad has been chilled.