Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 large English cucumber, seeded and diced

5 scallions, diced (white and green parts)

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 cup of parsley, minced

1/4 cup of fresh mint, minced

3/4 cup of crumbled feta, divided

For the Vinaigrette:

Zest and Juice of 3 lemons

2 teaspoons of of Gourmet Garden Basil Stir In Paste

1 clove of grated garlic

1/2 cup of olive oil (I love using an unfiltered olive oil )

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the cucumber, diced scallions, chickpeas, grape tomatoes, diced red and orange bell pepper, parsley, mint and a 1/2 cup of the crumbled feta.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, Basil paste, and garlic.
Slowly whisk in the olive oil so that everything emulsifies.
Add the salt and pepper and whisk again.
Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and chickpeas and toss to combine.
Garnish with the remaining 1/4 cup of feta cheese and serve with toasted pita chips for serving.
Enjoy!