Pita chip dinner salad with stone fruit & chickpeas

Enjoy a delightful medley of flavors with this vibrant pita chip dinner salad featuring juicy stone fruit, hearty chickpeas, and a burst of crunchiness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (heaping) dry chickpeas (or two 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
• 3 (7- or 8-inch) pitas, split in half and torn into 1-inch pieces
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large shallot
• 1 large lemon
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoons ground sumac
• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves and all stems, chopped (about 1 cup, packed)
• 1 cup (packed) mint leaves
• 2 ripe yellow peaches, sliced into wedges
• 2 ripe red or black plums, sliced into wedges
• 1/2 green cucumber, halved and sliced on the bias; or ½ bunch of red radishes, thinly sliced (or half the amount of each)
• Flaky sea salt, for serving

Instructions:

1. If you are using dried chickpeas, go through them, rinse, and then soak in water for 1 hour at room temperature (or up to 12 hours in the fridge). Afterward, drain the chickpeas and put them in a medium saucepan filled almost to the top with well-salted water and a generous amount of olive oil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then lower to medium-low, partially covering the pot. Cook, checking every 40 minutes or so to add more water if needed, until the chickpeas are soft throughout, which takes around 1.5 to 3 hours depending on the chickpeas and soaking time. Once done, let them cool, drain (you can save the stock in the freezer for vegetable broth later). If preparing in advance, store the chickpeas in their liquid in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lay the torn pita pieces on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake, tossing halfway through, until they are deeply golden and crispy, which usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Cut the shallot in half through the root end, peel it, and finely chop one of the halves placing it in a large bowl. Thinly slice half of the lemon into rounds, remove the seeds, then finely chop (including the pith and peel) and add it to the bowl with the shallot. Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges and set them aside on a plate. To the bowl with shallots and lemon, add grated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of sumac, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Whisk everything together, then gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Slice the remaining half of the shallot thinly. Finely chop the parsley stems and roughly chop the parsley leaves. Combine the sliced shallot, all the chopped parsley stems, most of the parsley leaves, and most of the mint with the dressing in the bowl.
5. Toss in the sliced peaches, plums, chickpeas, cucumbers and/or radishes, and almost all of the pita crisps into the bowl. Mix well and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. For a slightly sweeter taste, add the leftover teaspoon of honey, or for a tangier flavor, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sumac.
6. Spread the salad onto a large serving platter. Top it with the reserved pita crisps, mint leaves, and parsley leaves. Sprinkle some flaky salt, more pepper, and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve right away, with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the salad.

Summary:

• Calories: 2181 kcal
• Fat: 112 g
• Protein: 56 g
• Carbs: 269 g
• Potassium: 2882 mg
• Magnesium: 371 mg