Chilled Garbanzo & Potato Salad
Submitted by sjmvrn
Chilled garbanzo and potato salad tosses boiled red potatoes with chickpeas, roma tomatoes, red onion, and spinach, then marinates for hours in the fridge. A lighter twist on picnic potato salad.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
5 hrsA picnic potato salad that ditches the heavy mayo dressing for something lighter and brighter. Waxy red potatoes get a quick boil (just 4 to 5 minutes, no mush allowed), then go into the bowl alongside chickpeas, roma tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped baby spinach.
The four-hour chill is what turns this from a thrown-together bowl into something special. Everything sits in the dressing together so the flavors meld, the onions soften their sharp bite, and the chickpeas drink up whatever vinaigrette you’re using.
Cool the potatoes fast in cold water right after boiling. This stops them from continuing to cook in their own residual heat and keeps them firm for the long chill.
Great side for cookouts, Mediterranean-themed dinners, or a standalone lunch with crusty bread. Makes plenty for a crowd and actually improves overnight.
Kitchen Tips
- Cut the potatoes into uniform bite-sized pieces before boiling. Random chunks cook unevenly and some will be mush while others stay raw.
- Use a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette or a red wine vinegar dressing. Creamy mayo-based dressings overwhelm the delicate vegetables.
- Rinse the canned chickpeas aggressively to wash off the starchy liquid, otherwise the salad gets a cloudy, bean-water taste.
- Toss the salad two or three times during the 4-hour chill so the dressing coats everything evenly.
Variations
- Add crumbled feta and kalamata olives for a Greek-style Mediterranean twist.
- Swap spinach for arugula or chopped parsley for more peppery bite.
- Stir in a tablespoon of capers and a squeeze of lemon for extra brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring about 4 to 6 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan (more is better, but leave room for the potatoes), and add the scrubbed bite-sized potato pieces.
Bring back to a boil, and boil for 4 to 5 minutes.
Do not overcook! You don’t want them to be hard, but you don’t want them to be mush, either.
Drain the potatoes, and rinse well under cold water (or cover with cold water, then drain and rinse).
Drain the garbanzo beans and rinse them thoroughly under cold water.
Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces, but smaller than the potato pieces.
Chop up the spinach (if you’re using it). Mix everything together, including the dressing, in a bowl that is big enough to stir it without dumping bits over the side.
Cover the bowl, and chill for at least 4 hours, tossing it once or twice to make sure the dressing continues to coat things.
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