The salad that inspired this one is served as a side at Blue State Coffee here in Providence. I’ve been making my lightly edited version as a quick lunch/snack for a while now. It’s so easy, and really tasty both cold and at room temp.

Chickpeas, ready to go!

Mash ’em

Pickles. Hand for scale.

Chopped pickles

The kitchen sink

All mixed up!

Chickpea Picnic Salad

Perfect for a picnic lunch:

• A 28-oz can of chickpeas
• 3 small kosher dill pickles (check out the pictures for approximate size–you can always add less or more)
• 1 tbsp fresh or dried dill weed
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp salt (you can always add more once you taste the final product)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (ditto with the tasting)
• A dash of cayenne pepper (or two!)

Super, super, super easy. First, rinse the chickpeas with warm water and drain. In a large bowl, lightly mash them so that some (a third or half) fall apart. Then add the other ingredients to the bowl, stir everything together, and eat. Or refrigerate the salad for later, and serve it at your desired temperature. Serves 2-3, depending on how hungry you are!