Chopped Salad with Fried Garbanzo Beans

I am always in search of a really good salad with fresh and unique ingredients that make it so much more exciting to eat.  I ran across this recipe in the Oprah Magazine and saw fried garbanzo beans, interesting.  Never had that before and knew I had to try it.  Needless to say this salad is a meal in itself, delicious, easy to prepare and won’t disappoint your taste buds at all, lots of yummy flavors going on in it.

Ingredients:  3/4 cup olive oil, divided, 1 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, divided, 1/8 tsp. chili powder, 4 slices (1/4 pound) bacon, 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp. fresh basil, 1/4 tsp. dried oregano, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1 small shallot, finely chopped, 12 cherry tomatoes, halved, 1 cucumber, preferably English, peeled, seeded, and chopped, 1 bag mixed baby greens, 1/2 cup small feta cheese cubes

You can use whatever vinegar you have on hand, red wine vinegar, apple cider. I used this Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with the ‘Mother’.  Apparently the mother has lots of health benefits for your body, as opposed to regular ole vinegar.  You can see more details on the Bragg website.  I think it tastes good and love the extra healthy benefits.

First up, rinse the garbanzo beans well.

Add them to a hot pan with about 6 T of olive oil, and fry them up, until they reach a golden color.

Mix up the seasoning that will top the beans, black pepper, salt and chili powder, set aside.

chop the shallots, garlic and cucumbers.

Set the beans aside on a paper towel to cool and drain.

Sprinkle with the seasoning blend and toss well.

Sample a few, they are yummy!

Then fry up the bacon in the same pan, and set aside to cool and crumble.

In a large salad bowl, add the shallot, garlic, vinegar, basil and oregano.

Mix well while adding the rest of the oil olive (about 6 Tablespoons), season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and cucumbers to the dressing.

and the salad greens, and toss well.

top with the feta cheese.

Bacon and garbanzo beans.

Just look at those gorgeous colors.

Be sure to share, and enjoy!

Print This RecipeChopped Salad with Fried Garbanzo Beans

adapted from Oprah magazine

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil , divided

1 cup canned garbanzo beans , rinsed and drained

1 tsp. kosher salt , divided

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper , divided

1/8 tsp. chili powder

4 slices (1/4 pound) bacon

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. fresh basil

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 clove garlic , finely chopped

1 small shallot , finely chopped

12 cherry tomatoes , halved

1 cucumber , preferably English, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 bag mixed baby greens

1/2 cup small feta cheese cubes

Directions

Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully add garbanzo beans and fry, stirring often, until crisp and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and chili powder; set aside.

Carefully discard oil in skillet and wipe clean. Return skillet to medium heat, add bacon, and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, crumble into small pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, basil, oregano, garlic, shallot, and remaining 6 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to make a dressing. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and cheese, tossing gently to combine. Transfer to bowls, garnish with bacon and garbanzo beans, and serve.

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