harissa chickpeas with feta, on toast

this has been my favourite lunch in recent weeks – a slice of buttery toast topped with a spicy chickpea salad, feta and a creamy herb dressing. it’s based on a fernandez & wells recipe i tore out of a magazine and is a nice homemade alternative to “beans on toast”, not least as it is so easy to assemble.

the chickpeas are dressed with harissa, lemon and garlic then mixed with thinly sliced red onion; the dressing is a mix of yoghurt, mint and coriander. the result, when cherry tomatoes and feta is added, is a healthy flavour-packed dish that is a nice alternative to more traditional winter flavours, particularly on those days when you yearn for blue skies and a hint of spring.

harissa chickpeas with feta, on toast (serves 4)

400g tin of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small red onion, finely sliced

1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped

zest and juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon of harissa (you can add more if you want extra heat, or just add some chopped chillies)

100g greek yoghurt

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves plus extra to garnish

freshly ground black pepper

4 slices of toast

12 cherry tomatoes, cut ito small pieces

100g feta

mix the chickpeas, onion and garlic with the lemon juice and zest, olive oil and harissa paste. set aside and let the meld. make the dressing by mixing the yoghurt and herbs – if it is too thick, add a little milk – then season with the black pepper. to assemble, place the chickpea mix on the toast (i like mine buttered or you could drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil), along with some tomatoes. crumble over the feta and drizzle with some dressing and garnish with the leftover mint.