Warm Chickpea, Pepper and Fennel Salad
A lovely vegetarian salad, perfect for a lunch with some home baked bread, or as a side-dish with a main meal.
Instructions
Dressing
Pour the vinegar into a small jug. Season with salt and pepper then whisk in the oil.
Put to one side while you make the salad.
Salad
Perch the peppers over one or two gas burners (or put them under a hot grill) and blacken them, turning all the time to expose the skin to the naked heat.
When completely charred, pop them into a plastic bag and leave for 10 minutes. Scrape off the blistered skin then seed and chop the flesh into medium dice.
Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and tip in the onion. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic, fennel, rosemary and bay leaf and fry for another 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently and not letting the vegetables colour.
Add the stock and the chickpeas to the frying pan and stir.
Bubble vigorously for about 5 minutes or until the juices have nearly disappeared.
Remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes.
Scrape the contents of the frying pan into a large mixing bowl, then throw in the peppers, lemon zest and parsley.
Pour over the dressing and toss gently, ensuring the dressing is thoroughly mixed in.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have peppers, you could try substituting with chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
Alternatively, try coating some halved cherry tomatoes in a mixture of olive oil, salt and brown sugar and roasting them, cut side up under a medium grill until they are soft, shrunken and sweet.
In both cases, the taste of the salad will be different...but equally good!
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