beets + black chickpea {salad}

You might recognize those beet greens in the photo below. Those would be the same beet greens that I cooked down and used to top bruschetta last week. The main attraction – the beets themselves – got worked into this easy and drop dead gorgeous little salad.

Even if you did recognize those beet greens, you’re probably having a hard time identifying  those little black things. You probably thought they were blueberries, right? Even I had a hard time remembering what they were when I saw them in this context while editing my photos. They are teeny tiny. ink black chick peas.

The ceci neri were the last of the legumes that I bought in January, when I was celebrating bean month. My thinking was that if I had more beans around, I would eat more beans. And that has turned out to be true.

Reading about black chickpeas on line, a lot of people equate them with the kind that are grown in India and make their way into dal. But this variety, which is smaller, is one that has a long history in Puglia. I’ve used them before and what I love about them is that they don’t feel as starchy as the bigger, yellow chickpeas. They are small, very compact and tend not to fall apart. The black skin doesn’t slip off as it does in other varieties, and the taste is a bit nuttier and slightly earthy. Which is why I thought they would pair nicely with the luscious sweet beets. 

The salad couldn’t be easier. Basically cook the beets and chickpeas separately, then combine them with the yogurt dressing. The magic pink color appears thanks to the beets of course. I ate the salad on it’s own this week for lunch, but I think it would make a great side dish lamb, with the whole mint/yogurt thing going on. 

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beets + black chickpea {salad}

Prep 12 hours

Cook 2 hours

Total 14 hours

Author Elizabeth

Yield 4

If you can't manage to find black chickpeas you can use regular ones.

Ingredients

• 1 pound / 500 gr. beets
• 1 1/2 cups black chickpeas
• 1 cup whole fat plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of salt plus 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the chickpeas for at last 12 hours, or up to 24.
2. Pre heat oven to 180c/ 200f
3. Drain the chickpeas and put in a pot, covering with water by about 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a simmer. Let cook till the chickpeas are done. This may take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on your chickpeas. Drain.
4. Remove the greens from the beets (reserving them for another use) and scrub them clean. Dry the beets and rub them with olive oil. Place each beet in a square of tin foil, wrapping it tightly. Place the wrapped beets on an oven tray and bake until done. If small to medium sized it should take about an hour. If they are big up to an hour and a half
5. Remove from the oven and as soon as they are cool enough to handle open the packets and slip the skins off the beets. I use kitchen gloves to protect my hands from getting stained.
6. Cut the beets into 1/2 inch cubes.
7. In a bowl big enough to hold the beets and chickpeas put: yogurt, mint, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir well, then add the cooled chickpeas and beets. Stir gently, taste for seasoning and serve.