When it’s mid-summer and too hot to even think about cooking, make this
soup. Toss a handful of things in a blender and, before you know it, you have
something cool and refreshing yet surprisingly satisfying. The latter is thanks
to tahini, the sesame seed paste that’s most commonly used to make hummus.
It lends creaminess and nutty flavor but, more importantly, it adds a bit of
protein and healthy fat, which turns this chilled soup into a light meal. My
favorite part, though, is the crispy spiced chickpeas. They also add protein
but, really, they’re there for the textural contrast they give every spoonful.
Just be sure to make them right before you serve the soup, as they’ll lose their
crunch if made too far in advance.
Chitra Agrawal calls herself an American Born Confused Desi, a term commonly used to describe a “desi” or South Asian born and brought up in the US. In Chitra’s case, she is of Indian descent, born in New Jersey, raised in California, and now settled in Brooklyn, New York. While labels can be hard to shake, for Chitra, this cultural disparity was her fuel. In 2009, she started her inspiring blog, The ABCDs of Cooking, a journal of vegetarian recipes rooted in traditional Indian cooking and reflective of Indian diaspora. She also channels her heritage into Brooklyn Delhi, her line of premium achaars, an Indian pantry staple.
Falafels are the perfect plant-based morsel and a family favorite. However, in this salad, I’ve dismantled perfection and discovered a new, delicious way to enjoy the feted flavors of falafels—chickpeas, cumin, parsley, mint, and tahini. The crispy oven-roasted chickpeas are nothing short of incredible, and I encourage you to try roasting all types of beans in this manner.
If you like falafel (fried chickpea patties usually sandwiched in a pita pocket), you’ll love this healthier baked twist on that theme. The flavor profile of the fish cakes, like falafel, comes from a tasty puree of chickpeas, lemon, and spices. Adding mackerel gives a healthy seaside twist to this fusion sandwich.
It might seem a hassle to roast the fennel and tomatoes separately, but it does make things easier when you come to assemble this, as each element stays intact and keeps its shape.
The more limited produce offerings of colder months encourage me to get creative with salads. In place of fresh greens, I’ll often use a base of radicchio, chicory, endive, or even thinly shaved root vegetables. I brighten up dressings with citrus zest, parsley, or flavored oils and vinegars, which offer a nice contrast to the earthiness of winter vegetables. Walnut and hazelnut oil are my favorites: they’re pricey but intensely flavorful, so a small amount goes a long way.
You can find kung pao chicken on pretty much every Chinese takeout menu. It’s a staple for anyone who orders late-night Chinese food, and it is one of those Americanized Chinese dishes that everyone I know grew up with—except me. Chef and Christopher were trading stories about their favorite takeout dishes and raving about the addictiveness of a super-spicy, garlicky, well-made kung pao dish. I was skeptical that it could really be that tasty, but then Chef came up with a brilliant idea to make me a vegan version with chickpeas. I was sold. It’s crunchy and earthy, and I love it over a bowl of hot fluffy rice.
A quick and easy soup from chef Amanda Cohen that pops with flavors of tomato, rosemary and lemon. This soup was included her Cohen's The Key 3 segment on The Splendid Table.
Paella’s lesser-known cousin, fideos, boasts small toasted noodles simmered in a smoky tomato sauce. For a weeknight version, we swapped chorizo and shellfish for chickpeas, fennel, and kale.
I used to miss my dad’s curried egg sandwiches until the guys at Thug Kitchen gave me the idea of using chickpeas in place of eggs in my sandwich.