Carrot Salad with Aleppo Chickpeas & Date Vinaigrette

Step 1

Set a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

Step 2

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 3

Use a knife to very finely chop the chickpeas into "crumbles" (see blog post for images). Spread these out on the sheet pan.

Step 4

Finely chop the pistachios and walnuts and set aside.

Step 5

Sprinkle the spices onto the chickpeas and season with a teaspoon of salt. Drizzle with the olive oil and gently mix.

Step 6

Bake the chickpeas for 15 minutes. Remove the pan, give the crumbles a shake, then scatter the nuts on top of the chickpeas. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas are crisp and the nuts are fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Step 7

While the chickpeas are roasting, prepare the salad.

Step 8

Use a julienne peeler (or any peeler you have) to grate the carrots into a large bowl.

Step 9

Slice the scallions on a sharp angle and thinly slice the red onion. If you have time, soak these in an ice bath for a few minutes before adding them to the carrots. This will make the mellow and wonderfully crisp.

Step 10

In a small bowl, prepare the date vinaigrette.

Step 11

Finely chop the dates and add the to the bowl. Zest in half the lemon and squeeze in all the lemon juice. Grate in the garlic cloves and season with a large pinch of salt.

Step 12

Add the olive oil and vinegar and mix. Season with the Aleppo pepper flakes, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 13

When the salad is ready to assemble, add the scallions and red onion in with the carrots, then add the date vinaigrette and toss.

Step 14

Portion either onto one big serving platter or two individual bowls. Scatter the top of the salad with a generous portion of the chickpea-nut crumble, and serve!