Easy Make-Ahead Carrot and Chickpea Salad With Dill and Pumpkin Seeds

This easy, make-ahead chickpea salad combines chickpeas with grated carrots, pumpkin seeds, and plenty of dill. It’s the ideal food for a packed lunch, whether it’s at school, the office, or on the road.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight in cold salted water at room temperature
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 carrot, cut into 3-inch segments
• 1 onion, split in half
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 3-inch segments
• Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup pepitas
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor fitted with a grating attachment
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Drain chickpeas and place in a large pot with bay leaf, carrot, onion, and the segmented celery stalk. Cover with cold water by 2 inches, season with salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the chickpeas are tender but still hold their shape, about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf, carrot, onion, and celery. Drain and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Let drain in a colander set in the sink while you prepare the rest of the salad.
2. Place pepitas on a large plate and microwave on high power for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for a further 2 minutes. Continue stirring and microwaving at 30-second intervals until lightly toasted and fragrant. Alternatively, toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant.
3. Combine chickpeas, carrots, toasted pumpkin seeds, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and dill in a large bowl and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or for better results, store overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. Salad will keep for up to 3 days.