Chickpea Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

This is delicious at room temperature, so it's perfect to pack for lunch at the office--or a weekend picnic. It's also good served over a bed of baby greens or leftover rice. Prep: 10 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper flakes
• 2  teaspoons  capers, drained
• 1  tablespoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  paprika
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, or 1 cup dried beans, cooked, rinsed, and drained
• 1  tomato, chopped
• 1  roasted red bell pepper from a jar, drained and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh thyme
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 3  ounces  feta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 3/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Stir together first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until well blended.

2. Toss chickpeas and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Add sea salt and pepper. Add feta cheese, and toss gently. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill until ready to serve.

Sara Foster, Sara Foster's Casual Cooking: More Fresh Simple Recipes from Foster's Market, MyRecipes, APRIL 2007