sumac roasted chickpea and mushroom
with preserved lemon yogurt
This quick and easy side makes good use of some earthy friends: chickpeas and mushrooms. Each week, I make a big pot of beans or legumes to have for the week. Usually to make weeknight meals quicker, or for my hearty breakfast of beans, eggs and a mini salad of radish, cilantro, lime and scallion. It’s my go to breakfast - and mostly another convincing meal to warrant cooking up beans.
After making a pot of chickpeas, I came up with this hearty side that could easily be a light dinner or lunch. The chickpeas transform when roasting into a lovely crispy tender thing while my mushrooms brown at the same time. Sumac gives it the lemony brightness I love. And the yogurt sauce, rich and punchy, is a great counterbalance to the earthy mushrooms and chickpeas. Feel free to use canned chickpeas! Or make this into a salad (variation below.) I served this with a ras el hanout roasted chicken or a piece of fish with green garlic chermoula.
To make your own chickpeas: I soak overnight with a touch of baking soda and salt, drain and fill a pot with water two inches above where the chickpeas hit. Add a couple cloves of smashed garlic, pinch of chili flake, a bay leaf and 1/2 tsp cumin, and a couple glugs of olive oil. Bring to a boil, then a gentle simmer. Once starting to be mildly tender, salt the water to the desired seasoning I want the chickpea to be. (I taste it.) And a delicious pot of chickpeas awaits.
sumac roasted chickpea and mushroom
makes two large servings
14 oz (2.5 cups) cooked chickpeas
1/2 tsp slightly crushed cumin
1 tsp sumac
1 large clove garlic ( or 2 small - or 2 big if you love garlic)
2.5 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 oz mixed mushrooms ( shiitake, oyster, trumpet, maitake)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt
preserved lemon yogurt
3 oz yogurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped preserved lemon
garnish:
1 tsp sumac
2 Tablespoons of your choosing: chopped mint, chopped scallion (BOTH) or chopped cilantro or dill
Instructions:
preheat oven to 475 or if your oven is basically broken broil low ( I’m the latter.)
Cut your mushrooms into thin-ish slices about 1/4 inch thick. I like to quarter small shiitakes. Slice lengthwise trumpets. And simply tear into chunks maitakes and oyster mushrooms.
In a medium size bowl, toss the chickpeas, cumin, sumac, olive oil and salt. Grate with a microplane, one large clove garlic into the bowl and give everything a really good toss.
Spread onto a baking sheet tray. In the same bowl, add the mushrooms, olive oil and salt; some sumac and garlic-y-ness will be left and the mushrooms will soak it up. Mix throughly and spread out onto the sheet tray.
Roast the mushrooms and chickpeas for 10 - 12 minutes. They should be sizzling and getting crispy. ( if not, use the broiler for another 3 -4.) I want this process to go quick, so the chickpeas get a little crispy but not dried out. Everything should look golden brown. When the sheet tray is out, add 1 more teaspoon sumac on top.
As the tray is roasting, make a quick yogurt sauce. If using greek yogurt, thin out with 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add salt, chopped preserved lemon and yogurt in a bowl.
To plate: dollop yogurt on to a large plate, scatter the mushrooms and chickpea. Add herbs and serve.
SALAD variation: Double up the herbs, add 1 cup arugula/spicy mix/or tender spinach with 2 TAB lemon juice, 1 TAB olive oil and salt to taste. Add greens and herbs to the top and enjoy a hearty salad.