Tasty Tuesday--Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

This was my very first "Tasty Tuesday" post, but I somehow managed to delete it, so here it is again. 

The recipe came from one of my Ina Garten cook books. I have loved every recipe of her's that I've tried. The only thing I did differently was decrease the lemon juice from 1/2 cup (4 lemons) to 1/3-1/4 cup (3 lemons).

This salad is the perfect healthy lunch, and is surprisingly filling because of the chickpeas.

Ingredients

10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch diced

1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch diced

1 can or jar (12 to 16 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves

About 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

3 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

8 oz. feta cheese, 1/2 inch diced

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with toasted pita bread.