I was looking for a cool salad for this July 4th and created this spicy North African inspired chickpea salad. It makes a light summer vegetarian salad. I added some hard-boiled eggs to add variety to the texture of the dish and I give a foolproof method for cooking the eggs.

The vegetables can be very coarsely chopped in a food processor.

The salad can be made a day ahead. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Tunisian Chickpea Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

1 cup canned reduced-sodium chickpeas. drained and rinsed, divided use

1/2 cup chopped onion.

1/2 cup cucumber diced, skin on seeds removed

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup diced fresh tomato

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped mint

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 whole wheat pita breads, cut into triangles

DIRECTIONS

Place eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Cook for 12 minutes. Drain and rinse eggs under cold water. When the eggs are cold, peel and cut in half and then cut each half into quarters. Set aside.

Remove 1/2 cup chickpeas and add the remaining chickpeas to a mixing bowl. Mash the 1/2 cup chickpeas with a fork or in a food processor. Add them with the onion, cucumber, celery, tomato and cumin to the bowl. Mix all together. Add olive oil and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chickpeas and mix all ingredients together. Divide between two dinner plates and sprinkle mint and parsley. Arrange the egg quarters around the plates. Serve with the pita bread.

Yield 2 servings.  Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

(Linda Gassenheimer is the author of over 30 cookbooks, including her newest, “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.”) Tribune News Service