Warm Broccoli and Chickpea Salad

Let’s be honest: just how excited can you be about broccoli? This dish, closely adapted from Cook’s Country,  makes broccoli exciting, indeed! And the protein-packed chickpeas make it a complete meal if you like. My daughter Nora made a fabulous vegan version of this for us, substituting nutritional yeast for the Parmesan and non-dairy non-dairy yogurt for the mayonnaise.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• ½-1 red onion, moderately-finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 11/2 pounds broccoli florets, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preparation

1. Whisk Parmesan, ¼ cup oil, lemon juice, garlic, mayonnaise, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add chickpeas and toss to combine; set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, ¼ tsp salt & ½ tsp pepper and cook until the onion is tender and beginning to brown, 6 -8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the chickpea mixture.
3. Heat the remaining 3 Tbsp oil in the same skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the broccoli, and the remaining ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Cook until the broccoli is dark brown and crispy in spots, about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the chickpea mixture. Toss. Serve warm. So good.