Smoked Salmon, Chick Pea & Haloumi Salad

Once again, we've reached that time of year where meal preparation shifts from cooking to assembling. Fresh ingredients are everywhere and preparing them so one can enjoy their full flavours means leaving them the hell alone.

This salad is all about assembly, but has a lot of ingredients and steps attached. It doesn't take as long as you might think to prepare, but if you're daunted by the number of instructions provided below, you can simplify it pretty quickly. For instance, the chick peas don't need to be toasted. While it certainly enhances their flavour, with so much going on with this salad anyways, one might choose to skip this step.  Another option is to replace the grilled haloumi with fresh feta. You may wind up doing this anyway if haloumi isn't easily obtainable. I made this salad worth my while by doubling up on some of the items for use in other recipes. The chimichurri recipe, for example was used on grilled fish and vegetables later in the week. Had I had extra chick peas, I would have used them in other dishes too.  Regardless of steps, this salad was a delicious affair and perfect with a cold summer soup and crust of French bread.

From:  http://honestcooking.com

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Toasted Chick Peas

• 1 400g can of chick peas 
• 1 t smoked paprika
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 t salt

Tahini Dressing

• 2 T greek yoghurt
• 1 T tahini
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T water

Chimichurri

• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1/4 mint leaves
• 1/4 cup of cilantro
• 1 t chili flakes
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 250g smoked salmon
• 250g haloumi sliced in 1 cm slices
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 4-5 large eggs
• 1 cup pea shoots
• 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped

Chick Peas

Drain, rinse and dry the chick peas. Heat the olive oil in a pan, on medium heat. Add the chick peas and toss in the paprika and salt, ensuring the seasoning covers all the chicks peas. Continue to toss the chick peas occasionally in the pan. Once the peas have browned, remove them from the pan and let sit on a paper towel-lined plate.

Tahini Dressing

Whisk all the ingredients together until blended. Set aside.

Chimichurri

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a carafe and set aside.

Salad

Prepare the haloumi by heating a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the slices in the pan for about 1 minute each side or until browned. Set them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kale to the water for 30 seconds. Pour the contents of the pot through a strainer. Set the kale aside.

Soft boil the eggs by bringing a small pot of water to a boil. Add the eggs and boil for 6 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool immediately by running them under cold water. Peel eggs and set aside.

Assemble the salad by placing all the dry ingredients in a large and preferably shallow bowl. If serving the entire salad immediately, dress it with both the chimichurri and tahini dressing. If not, dress each serving individually.