Warm Chickpeas with Romaine and Garlic Breadcrumbs

Simple is sometimes best as wise people sometimes say, and this dish proves it. Taking garlic and lemon and flavoring the entire dish, creates a unity among these ingredients. Cold and warm, crunchy and soft, this dish is an interesting way to enjoy a quick lunch.

Recipe by Tierney Larson

Ingredients:

1/4 of a loaf of day old or fresh bread (you’ll make more than you need for this recipe but these are great to have in your fridge for sprinkling over anything!)

1 garlic clove, minced

kosher salt

4 tbl olive oil, divided plus more for drizzling

1 head of romaine lettuce rinsed, dried and cut or torn into 2 inch pieces

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 lemon, halved

1 garlic clove peeled and lightly crushed

1 can of chickpeas rinsed and drained

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 oz of feta cheese crumbles, or more to taste

ok so…

Make the breadcrumbs:

If the bread you have has a hard crust, remove most of it before adding to the food processor. Add the bread in torn pieces to the food processor and pulse until you have evenly coarse little bread crumbs. You should have about 2 cups.

Heat a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat and add the breadcrumbs, garlic and 3 tbl of olive oil. Stir to coat the bread crumbs and garlic in the oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper, taste and adjust adding more salt if necessary. Stir frequently so they don’t burn. Once golden, about 5 minutes, pour onto a paper towel lined plate to cool. Use about 1/4 cup of them for this dish and save the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Toss the romaine leaves with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and season with some kosher salt. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

Wipe out the pan you used for the breadcrumbs and add 1 tbl of olive oil and the smashed garlic clove to the cold pan. Allow the garlic to heat up over medium heat with the oil until it’s sizzling and slightly browned. Season with kosher salt and then add the chickpeas. Stir and let them sizzle and cook until lightly golden, add a good squeeze of lemon juice, taste and then season again if necessary with kosher salt and black pepper.
Pour out onto a serving dish and sprinkle with the feta, and breadcrumbs and cherry tomatoes. Give them a toss to combine.

To serve, lay some romaine leaves down onto a plate and then top with the warm chickpeas. Enjoy!