Chickpea Salad with Onions and Paprika

Chickpea Salad with Onions and Paprika

Tim made this side dish for the Tagine Lamb.  So good!

1 cup dried chickpeas soaked in plenty of cold water for at least 6 hours
1 red onion, halved and sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1-2 teaspoons paprika
3 tablespoons olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
a small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
a small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups goat cheese, or feta, crumbled
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Drain the chickpeas and put them in a deep pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy.  Drain the chickpeas and remove and loose skins - you can rub them in a clean tea towel to remove them, or between your fingers.

Tip the warm chickpeas into a bowl.  Add the onion, garlic, cumin and paprika and toss in the olive oil and lemon juice while the chickpeas are still warm, making sure they are all well coated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss in most of the herbs.  Crumble over the goat cheese, if using, and sprinkle with the rest of the herbs.