Ok, one more tomato recipe!
Fried chickpeas are forever though.
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I know the heirloom tomatoes are on their way out. Not to pull back the curtain too much, but there were some delays with this post that pushed it into October. Things happen! Thankfully, all of the tomatoes don’t turn into pumpkins with the stroke of midnight on the last day of summer. There are still many to be found at farmers markets (especially if you live in California), and you can absolutely still make the below recipe with any supermarket Campari, cherry, or grape ‘maters (smaller = sweeter/less mealy) as we ease into fall.
There really is no limit to the ways I can enjoy beans and tomatoes (ahem), but I have to say this recipe is a special one, especially for transitional weather. Now that we’re not sweating by simply existing, I’m looking for meals that are a little cozier than raw veg, but haven’t fully shifted into soup mode. Here, chickpeas and onions are coated in oil and fennel seeds, then fried until crisp—if you’re looking to make your “dense bean salad” (don’t get me started) more interesting, allow me to recommend this technique, for starters. Beans from a can are wonderful, but are far better fried. When slowly crisped in stainless steel, the chickpeas really soak up the oil and take on great color. Toss them with tomatoes (salted in advance, of course, to draw out those juices). I like to spoon it over a big glob of Greek yogurt, and all that’s really left to do is grab some bread to scoop it all up.
Note: Thanks to Cristel for sponsoring the content above. I used their 10” Frying pan here, and think it’s fantastic. And since you know I love a deal, use my code REBECCA30 at checkout for a 30% discount on Cristel.
Fried Chickpeas with Tomato-Onion Salad
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 pound tomatoes, such as heirloom, cherry, or Campari, cut into 1-inch wedges or chunks
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1 medium red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
Diamond Crystal or Morton Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons fennel or cumin seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Greek yogurt, for serving
Crusty bread or pita, for serving
Method
Lay out the chickpeas in a single layer on a kitchen towel to dry.
In a medium bowl, stir together the vinegar and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal or 1/2 teaspoon Morton salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gently toss in the tomatoes and half of the onions. Let that sit and get juicy while you work on the chickpeas.
In a medium skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until it starts to ripple. Pick up the chickpeas by the towel and dump into the skillet. Toss in the remaining onions, fennel seed and/or red pepper flakes if using, and a big pinch of salt and more pepper. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the chickpeas are crisped, 8 to 10 minutes. (If they start to pop, reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking for an extra few minutes.) Turn off the heat.
Toss the warm chickpeas into the tomato-onion mixture. Spread big dollops of yogurt onto plates, then spoon over the chickpea mixture, including juices. Serve pita or bread alongside for mopping up the mess.
