Spicy Garbanzo Salad

English_Rose's Note:

Spiked with chiles and peppers, this salad makes a healthy start to a meal and is also a great accompaniment to roast meats.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 3 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chili pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juice of

For the salad

• 14 ounces garbanzo beans
• 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the peanut oil and toss in the garlic and red onions.
2. Stir fry for about a minute, until the garlic gives off a nutty aroma.
3. Add the red wine vinegar while still on the heat - cook down and stir in the chile flakes along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool before adding the olive oil and lime juice.
5. In a large bowl, tip in all the salad ingredients and spoon over the dressing. Leave the garbanzos to steep for an hour or so before serving at room temperature, either as a starter or as an accompaniment to roast meats.

Reviews

[blueyedwineaux]

Quick & easy to make, very refreshing and full of flavor. My extended family loved this one (nothing was left)! Went very well with a '04 Latcham Vineyard Cabernet Franc :)

[Zurie]

I loved the novelty of the dressing, and was secretly pleased to find your recipe and not have to tear up greens and chop tomatoes again tonight: my husband insists on a salad before dinner!! He's a salad fanatic and he decided on 4 stars! I did not change your recipe in any way, except to add 1 teaspoon sugar to the dressing, because I thought it was a little too acidic for our tastes. And, oh yes nearly forgot: I did not have red wine vinegar at hand and used apple cider vinegar: sorry about that. I might have used more bell peppers than you specified, because they are now at their peak in South Africa and I have quite a lot at hand. It was a lovely salad, which went with 2 small roasted marinated chicken halves, with jacket potatoes and small squashes baked alongside, as well as another veggie thingie I threw together: fried finely chopped onion, tatsoi (Chinese type) cabbage and peeled chopped tomatoes with seasonings. All in all, I thought the flavours went brilliantly together. Thanks, English Rose, for a really "different" type of salad!!