Cold Chickpea, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Feta Pasta
Ingredients
8 oz. Dried Chickpeas (or 2-3 C. Cooked) 1 C. Uncooked Barley 2/3 lb. Chicken, Chopped 1 C. Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Chopped 4 oz. Pesto 2 T. Balsamic Vinegar 4 T. Olive Oil 1 t. Black Pepper 2 Handfuls Spinach 6 oz. Feta, Crumbled Supplies Large Mixing Bowl Stirrer Medium Bowl for Soaking Large Pot to Cook Chickpeas Pan to Cook Chicken Medium Pot to Cook Barley Stove |
Directions
Soak chickpeas overnight (or quick-soak for an hour); cook according to directions.* See right top two images for chickpeas. Cook barley according to package directions, takes about 15 minutes on stove-top. Set aside to cool. See right 3rd and 4th images for barley. While barley is cooking, chop and cook chicken until no longer pink; set aside. Chop sun-dried tomatoes and set aside. Combine chicken, tomatoes, pesto, vinegar, oil, pepper and spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add chickpeas, barley, and feta. Stir to combine all. Chill at least two hours in fridge before serving. Serve cold. Notes: *You can also buy canned, pre-cooked chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) but they’re higher in sodium and not as “fresh” tasting. If you’re cooking your chickpeas rather than buying them, allow them to cool enough to handle (run under cool water) and then rub the chickpeas between your hands. This will get the clear outer shell off. The shells will float to the top and you can scoop them out or pour them out into the sink with the excess water. The shells are fine to eat, they just don’t look at pretty and I don’t like the feel of them in my dishes. Lots of ways to change up this dish. I've used whole wheat penne pasta instead of the barley and chickpeas. You can also use different types of greens in place of the spinach, such as arugula. Servings: 5 Prep and Cooking Time: -Overnight or hour quick-soak + 2 hr cook chickpeas -25 minutes to make pasta -2+ hours chill before serving |
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