This is a quick and easy dish, and healthy as well! It makes a great side dish to a main or a filling salad for lunch. It's also very versatile and can be tweaked in numerous ways. For a spicy version, add some sriracha sauce, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes. Try swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice, use feta cheese instead of parmesan, and mix in some chopped fresh cilantro, arugula, red onion or shallot. For a curried chickpea salad, leave out the Parmesan and add curry powder to taste, dried currants, sliced green onions, and shredded carrots.                             

Ingredients

1, 15-to 15½-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 

2 small garlic cloves, pressed

1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Coarse kosher salt

Instructions

Combine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, chopped Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic clove in medium bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season chickpea salad to taste with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you allow this salad to marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours, the flavors really balance out. DO AHEAD: Chickpea salad can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 2 servings

This recipe courtesy of www.epicurious.com