Hairy Dieters, Chickpea, Hot-Smoked Salmon and Pomegranate salad

Each mouthful was an explosion  of flavours, from the sweetness of the pomegranate, the freshness of the cucumber, the smokiness of the salmon and the middle eastern flavour of the harissa paste. A perfect salad to eat in the sunshine. 

Ingredients, Serves 4

1 pomegranate,

1/2 cucumber, 

400g can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

1/2 medium red onion (finely sliced), 

2 ripe tomatoes (each cut into 12 chunks), 

15g fresh coriander leaves (roughly chopped), 

20g bunch flatleaf parsley (chopped), 

150g skinless, hot-smoked salmon

Dressing: 

1 tsp runny honey,

1 tsp harissa paste, 

2 tsp lemon juice, 

1 tbsp. olive oil, 

flaked sea salt,

ground black pepper

Method

Cut the pomegranate in half. Hold each half over a bowl and bash the back with a wooden spoon to dislodge the seeds – you may need to help some of them out with a knife or spoon. Put the seeds and any juice in a serving bowl. Peel the cucumber in long strips, leaving a little skin between each strip, then quarter lengthways and cut into 1.5cm slices.

Tip the chickpeas into the bowl, add the onion, tomatoes, cucumber, coriander and parsley and mix well. Flake the fish into chunks on top of the salad.

To make the dressing, put the honey, harissa and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk with a small metal whisk or a fork to combine. Add the olive oil, season with salt and ground black pepper and whisk until thickened. Spoon over the salad and toss lightly to serve.