Chickpea Salad

When I was invited to a barbecue at my friend Samantha's house on the South Shore of Massachusetts, I was racking my brain for what I could bring.  I came up with the idea for chickpea salad and just ran around the store, randomly grabbing ingredients.  These is what I came up with.  It was a hit at the party and it's my go-to dish when heading out to a summer barbecue! 

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium sized red onion, finely chopped, or 4 minced shallots
1/2 of a jalapeno, de-seeded and minced
1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, stems removed
3 tbsps lime juice
3 swirls of olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper, to taste


Rinse and drain chickpeas.  Mince garlic, finely chop onion, and minced jalapeno placing in a large bowl.  Add chickpeas and tomatoes.  Fold ingredients in until uniformly combined.  In a separate smaller bowl, add lime juice, olive oil, cumin, and salt and pepper, combining with a whisk.  When fully emulsified, add to large bowl and fold into mixture.  When combined, add chopped cilantro and mix carefully.  Put plastic wrap tightly over bowl and let marinate for at least an hour or two, so the flavors can meld.