I must start with the French feta…seriously, this stuff is soooo good! I’m sure I’ll offend Greeks everywhere by saying this (sorry!), but I really think it’s the best, as it’s less salty and a bit creamier than your typical feta. Next, the carrots, mint and parsley add a level of brightness to the salad, while the chickpeas, feta, tahini and spinach make the salad hearty enough for dinner. I stumbled upon the recipe (copied below with a few of my slight changes) in this month’s issue of Shape magazine. If this salad doesn’t inspire you to eat a little healthier this summer, perhaps the magazine’s cover will!

Dressing

  • 1/4 c lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinager
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 c tahini (I used only 2 tbsp and the tahini flavor was perfectly pronounced)
  • 1/2 c olive oil (I went with ~ 1/4 c and instead thinned the dressing out with a tbsp or two of water – healthier and delicious)
Salad
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp roughly chopped mint
  • Baby spinach (I did a mix of spinach & arugula)
  • Carrots, thinly sliced
  • French feta, crumbled
1. Make the dressing by combining all of the above ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine the chickpeas, parsley and mint with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Combine all remaining salad ingredients together and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.