While you may think of of hummus exclusively as a chickpea spread, the word hummus actually translates to “chickpea” in Arabic. In this protein-rich salad, whole chickpeas meld beautifully with crunchy Persian cucumbers, radishes, scallions, and a host of fragrant fresh herbs. I make Hummus Salata throughout the year, and often serve it with my chickpea-stuffed Swiss Chard Leaves —because you can never have enough chickpeas!
For this salad, I highly recommend starting off with dried chickpeas, and soaking them overnight before cooking them. Canned chickpeas really won’t deliver the same taste in this delicate and bright salad. I promise, the overnight soak is well worth it!
This salad keeps very well—in fact the flavors will become even stronger, so feel free to prepare it one day ahead, or save some for the following day. 
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
2 cups dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 Persian cucumbers, diced
6 radishes, thinly sliced into half-moons
3 scallions, ends trimmed, green and white parts finely diced
1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely sliced into thin strips
DRESSING
3 garlic cloves, finely mashed into a smooth paste
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2½ to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
One day ahead, place the dried chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and cover with 8 cups of cold water. Stir in the baking soda so that it dissolves, cover the bowl, and set aside to soak overnight at room temperature.
The next day, the beans will have doubled in size, yielding about 4½ cups of chickpeas. Drain in a colander or strainer and thoroughly rinse under cold running water.
Place the soaked beans in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cover with 8 cups of cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. When the beans come to a rolling boil, after about 10 minutes, skim off any foam and chickpea skins that rise to the top of the pot. Boil for about 15 minutes total, skimming at least twice during the process.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are completely cooked through and tender but not mushy. Drain the beans and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the diced cucumbers to the bowl, and layer the radish pieces over them. Spread the scallion slices all over the radishes and top with the parsley and mint.
Add the garlic paste over the herbs, and drizzle the olive oil starting from the center of the bowl and working your way out. Then evenly pour the lemon juice over the salad, and sprinkle with the sea salt. Toss the salad so all ingredients are coated with the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature.
