Balilah (Chickpea Salad)

Chickpeas are a staple of the Palestinian diet. In this salad they are seasoned with a blend of cumin, olive oil, and lemon juice. To make the salad more substantial, add some crumbled feta cheese and several seeded and diced vine-ripened tomatoes. From the food section of the Houston Chronicle. The recipe was adapted from Christiane Dabdoub Nasser's "Classic Palestinian Cookery".

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 3  cups canned chick-peas, rinsed and drained
• 3  scallions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cumin
• 1⁄3 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 -2  garlic clove, minced (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, scallions, and parsley; toss to combine.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour over the chickpeas and toss to coat evenly.
3. Let sit 10 minutes for the flavors to develop.