Middle Eastern Chickpea Platter

Made it,
Loved it.

Serving size 4

Prep Time

Total Time 25MIN

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small eggplant (about 12 ounce), cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt, divided
2 Tbsp tahini (see shopping tip)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1 can 15- to 19-ounce chickpeas or cannellini beans, rinsed (see note)
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup halved pitted briny black olives, such as kalamata (optional)
4 whole-wheat pita breads, warmed and cut in half or into wedges

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chickpeas (or beans), parsley and the eggplant.

3. Arrange the chickpea-eggplant salad, tomatoes, onion, feta, olives (if using) and pitas on a platter. Serve at room temperature or chilled and sprinkled with more parsley, if desired.

Note: Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.

Tip: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (Our recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.