Sesame Garbanzo Pitas

Sesame Garbanzo Pitas

Sometimes you need an easy, make-ahead meal that can be eaten with your hands.  Whether you are feeding crew on the boat or a picnic with friends, these Mediterranean inspired pitas will do the trick.

Everything can be prepared the day before if you're pressed for time. Simply combine the dressing ingredients in a ½ pint canning jar with a tight lid, mix the salad ingredients and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble them. Right before serving, toss the vegetables with the dressing and spoon into the pitas.

Whether you call them chick peas or garbanzo beans, these fiber-rich beans add a wonderful texture to this portable meatless meal.

Recipe

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Sesame Garbanzo Pitas

Fresh and lemony dressing atop a healthy mix of vegetables and garbanzo beans...perfection.  I  particularly enjoy the nutty crunch of the sesame seeds mixed in.  These Sesame Garbanzo Pitas are a favorite for meals on the move when eating with utensils won't work.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Meatless Main Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 6 pitas

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Karen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 cups slivered romaine lettuce
• 1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
• 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
• 3 green onions thinly sliced, using both white and green parts
• 2 oz. feta cheese crumbled
• 6 pita bread

Lemon Basil Dressing

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
• ¼ cup slivered fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 cloves garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently.
• In a large bowl, combine lettuce, garbanzo beans, red pepper, cucumber and green onion.
• Create a dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, basil, garlic, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid.
• At this point the components of this meal can be refrigerated until serving time.
• To serve, shake the dressing then drizzle it over the combined vegetables, and toss with feta cheese and sesame seeds. Spoon salad into each pita pocket.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the Simply Colorado cookbook.  Over the years I have updated the ingredients and altered the dressing.