Recipe: Summer Tomato and Chickpea Salad from Spain
We all know a tomato salad. But this Spanish Ensalada de Tomate y Garbanzos (or: tomato and chickpea salad) is anything but standard. It’s a fresh, summery salad with bite, body and character. Perfect for an evening on your balcony, a picnic in the park or – as chef Johan Björkman recommends – for a day at the beach.
Chickpeas + olives = a salad with substance
What makes this salad so special? First of all: the Manzanilla olive. A Spanish classic known for its crisp texture and lightly salty, fruity flavour. And then the chickpeas: nutritious, filling and exactly what you want in a salad you can also eat for lunch.
Combine that with juicy tomatoes, fresh parsley and a dash of sherry vinegar, and you have a dish bursting with flavour and simplicity. Add a baguette and a cold glass of white wine – hola, holiday feeling!
The queen of olives: Manzanilla
A brief ode to the Manzanilla. This olive variety mainly comes from western Spain and is often considered the most delicious olive in the world. Manzanilla literally means “little apple” – and that is exactly what these green, lightly wrinkled beauties look like. Stuffed with anchovies, peppers or lemon, or simply served plain as in this recipe: you can’t go wrong.
Did you know that Spain is one of the world’s largest olive producers? More than 90 per cent of olives are pressed into oil. But for this recipe, you need them whole, in all their crisp glory.
The recipe: summer tomato and chickpea salad
This salad is simple, quick and packed with flavour. The combination of tomato, chickpeas and Manzanilla olives makes for a fresh yet filling meal. And honestly: who wouldn’t want a little Spain on their plate on a lovely summer’s day? ¡Que aproveche!
Preparation for 4 people
- Mix the tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, onion and parsley in a large bowl.
- Add the sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Toss well and leave to stand briefly so the flavours can blend.
- Serve on a large platter or in a bowl for each person. Delicious with some crusty bread.
Tapas de Verduras: vegetables in the spotlight
This recipe comes from chef Johan Björkman’s book Tapas de Verduras. He lives in Barcelona and wrote a book full of vegetable dishes you can put straight on the table. The idea? More vegetables on your plate without making them boring. So don’t expect standard salads, but dishes with character.
The book contains more than 90 vegetarian dishes: from tortilla without eggs to aubergine with honey and lemon. Light, summery and above all very tasty. Perfect for a long evening of sharing food with friends, or simply for yourself on a weekday.
Title: Tapas de Verduras
Author: Johan Björkman
Price: €24.95
Publisher: Good Cook
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