Even though it’s still snowing in Norway while I write this (yes, it can snow in May!), I am getting the spring feels here in New York as we enter a new month.
The farmer’s markets around my area are slowly filling up with spring produce like scallions, asparagus, green lettuces, and herbs so I felt inspired to put together a light meal celebrating all the produce of the season.
In Norway, all the ingredients in this easy-to-put-together salad are commonplace and used often, from the cucumbers and arugula to of course dill, spring onions, and pickled red onions.
If you want to make your own pickled red onions, you can find a recipe for my favorite pickling liquid here that you can use for a variety of things you want to pickle!
Chickpeas are great to add to so many dishes, and tossing them in some dried spices and roasting them is one of my favorite ways to eat them. Plus they are a great source of protein and fiber.
For the chickpea spices, I wanted to accentuate the Scandinavian flavors in the salad and picked typical flavors you’ll find in Nordic cuisine: Caraway, cardamom, juniper berries, and nutmeg among others. The fresh dill and parsley in the salad top off the Scandinavian flavor chart which will bring you to my corner of the world!
Luckily we have so many wonderful vegan cheese alternatives out there now. I recently found a new favorite from Plant Ahead, where the cheese is in brine, just like the traditional version. Otherwise, Violife also produces a nice feta cheese.
The lemon-dill dressing is perfect to round it all out and goes well with many other Scandinavian dishes, such as potato salads, drizzle on kjøttkaker or karbonader, and as a sauce to main meals. Dill is life!
Because of the acidity in the dressing, I’d pick a crisp white wine. Norwegians love Chablis because it also pairs well with all the seafood that is served there. I think it’s also a wonderful match to this salad.
A couple of my favorite producers are Thomas Pico and Patrick Piuze. Both make wines that are elegant, vibrant and precise, reflecting the unique terroir of the region. I highly recommend trying these out if you can find them in your area!
And if you’re interested in learning more about wines, don’t forget I have many on-demand wine classes spanning a variety of subjects on my site.
Make this salad when you want to make a little something different for dinner on a weekday night – or even as a nice lunch during the weekend, so satisfying!
SPRING SALAD WITH SCANDINAVIAN-SPICED CHICKPEAS AND LEMON-DILL DRESSING
For the salad:
1 head of romaine, chopped
Handful of frisée, arugula, or spinach, or a mixture
1 English cucumber, diced
1 cup (50 grams) fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup (50 grams) fresh dill, chopped
1 bunch spring onions (scallions)
1 cup (150 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
1 x 15 oz can (453 gram) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup (170 grams) vegan feta
Pickled red onions to garnish (optional)*
For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill
salt, pepper
Spice mixture for chickpeas:
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt, pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (210 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels, add them to a bowl with the spice mixture and olive oil, and toss to coat. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly crispy.
While the chickpeas are in the oven, make the dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together well, set aside.
Wash the lettuce well, spin it dry, and add to a big salad bowl along with the cucumbers, dill, parsley scallions, and optional tomatoes and toss together with tongs. Add a little of the dressing and coat the salad. Top with roasted chickpeas, feta, and optional pickled red onions. Serve with a hearty slice of whole-grain Norwegian bread and a glass of Chablis!
SPRING SALAD WITH SCANDINAVIAN-SPICED CHICKPEAS
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 head romaine chopped
- Handful of frisée arugula, or spinach, or a mixture
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 1 cup (50 grams) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup (50 grams) fresh dill, chopped
- 1 bunch spring onions scallions
- 1 cup (150 grams) cherry tomatoes halved (optional)
- 1 15 oz (453 grams) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (170 grams) vegan feta
- Pickled red onions to garnish optional*
- For the dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- salt pepper
- Spice mixture for the chickpeas:
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds crushed
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries crushed
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (210 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pat the chickpeas dry with paper towels, add them to a bowl with the spice mixture and olive oil, and toss to coat. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until lightly crispy.
- While the chickpeas are in the oven, make the dressing. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together well, set aside.
- Wash the lettuce well, spin it dry, and add to a big salad bowl along with the cucumbers, dill, parsley scallions, and optional tomatoes and toss together with tongs. Add a little of the dressing and coat the salad. Top with roasted chickpeas, feta, and optional pickled red onions. Serve with a hearty slice of whole-grain Norwegian bread and a glass of Chablis!
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