Italian Couscous Salad with Crispy Chickpeas Recipe

Bonus! This Italian couscous salad is really two recipes in one: one for crispy, spicy toasted chickpeas that are perfect for eating by the hand full and a second for a tasty salad that’s great either as a side dish or by itself for lunch. 

Prep Time 10 min   Cook Time 40 min  Total Time 0:50

Yields 6

Ingredients

1 can (15 ounce) chickpeas, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Tabasco® original red sauce

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 & 1/4 cups water

1 cup Israeli couscous

1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved

4 ounces Ciliegine (small mozzarella balls)

2 cups baby spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

coarse sea salt, to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas; pour into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, Tabasco, and kosher salt. Turn to coat evenly. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp - about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 1 1/4 cups water to a boil. Add the couscous. Cover and cook 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool. Fluff with a fork.

In a serving bowl, combine the cooked couscous, chickpeas, tomatoes, and mozzarella.

Using a sharp knife or a food processor, cut the spinach into very small pieces. Mix with remaining olive oil and pour over salad. Stir to distribute event. Season to taste with sea salt and additional tabasco.