Orzo and Chickpea Salad

This is my second “husband challenge.” A husband challenge is when my husband (Adam) asks me to make something specific, which he rarely does, and it’s always super random. The first challenge was strawberry shortbread cookies- super random- but tasted great! Recipe here. This husband challenge was inspired by an orzo salad he had at an amazing bbq place near us called Q39. I never got to taste this salad so I’m not sure if it’s at all close to the salad he was talking about, but it tasted great so I wanted to share it anyway.

I start with dried chickpeas and soak them overnight because they really do taste better than canned, but if you don’t have the time you can definitely use canned chickpeas for this. I didn’t measure the dressing when I was making this, so this recipe calls for a bit of improvisation on your part, but just use your taste buds as your guide!

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas (soaked overnight) OR about 3 cups of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

8oz of orzo pasta

1 orange bell pepper diced

1 yellow bell pepper diced

1 small garlic clove minced

2 tsp of sherry vinegar

Juice of one lemon

3/4 cup of Extra virgin olive oil

2 tbl chopped parsley

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

kosher salt

ground pepper

Ok so..

If using dried chickpeas: soak over night in a large bowl of water, about 2 inches above the chickpeas. The next morning, drain and rinse them, then add about 2 qts of fresh water to a large pot along with 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, and 1 1/2 tsp of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 min checking for tenderness and skimming off any foam. Once tender, drain and remove garlic and bay leaves, set aside to cool.

1- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add orzo, cooking until al dente. Drain and add peppers to the pasta so they soften slightly.

2- In a large bowl add lemon juice, sherry vinegar, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper, then whisk in the olive oil slowly. Taste dressing and add more lemon, oil or salt until you’re happy with it!

3- Toss the orzo and pepper mixture and chickpeas with the dressing and taste again adjusting for seasoning if necessary, then add parsley and feta and toss until combined, then serve! This eats well at room temp or cold.