My friend Jessica’s new book is here, and I’m so excited for her! The Pretty Dish is bursting with 150 colorful, flavor-packed recipes in Jessica’s true How Sweet Eats style, and all of them can be made in under 60 minutes. Well, slow cooker recipes excluded. Plus, she included 50 beauty DIY recipes. Homemade bath melts? I’m into that. Jessica is as bubbly, witty and adorably self-deprecating in person as she is in writing. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and the book’s cover is the most perfect representation of her colorful personality and the vibrant recipes inside.
I was drawn to this chickpea recipe because it’s so simple and reminds me of some of my favorite deli salads. These marinated chickpeas with feta and basil are spicy and garlicky. They’re a little sweet, too, thanks to the roasted red peppers and a touch of honey. They strike an irresistible balance between the two, and I could not stop going back for more.
If spicy and garlicky aren’t your thing, you can decrease the amount of red pepper flakes and garlic. As a spice-lover, though, I think she has struck the perfect balance. Don’t plan on eating this salad before a hot date, garlic breath! Jessica says that this recipe is delicious the minute you mix it all together (it’s true; I was tempted to eat it all right then). However, if you let the mixture chill for at least 30 minutes, the flavors mingle and you end up with an even tastier dish. The only change I made to Jessica’s recipe is that I went ahead and doubled it, because you’re definitely going to want more of it. The amounts offered below yield the amount you see in the photos here. Be sure to check out a copy of Jessica’s new book, The Pretty Dish! And please let us know in the comments how you like these chickpeas.
Make it dairy free: I think you could replace the feta with sliced Kalamata olives and/or sliced pepperoncini peppers, to taste. They won’t make up for the creaminess of the feta, though. Change it up: Jessica suggests that you can substitute cannellini or great Northern beans for the chickpeas.
