Israeli salad pitas

3
Points®
Total Time
20 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
5 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Ideal for a hot summer day, this sandwich uses some of the season’s best produce—tomatoes, red bell peppers, and cucumbers—for a fresh, satisfying lunch or dinner. The homemade chickpea spread helps hold the bright vegetable-heavy filling in place inside the pita. Toasting the cumin along with the garlic amps up the flavor and aroma in the chickpea mixture without much additional effort. Just be sure to stir often to keep the cumin from burning. You can also serve the filling solo as a light and refreshing side salad. You’ll need about two lemons to produce enough fresh juice for this sandwich.

Ingredients

Tomato

2 large, chopped

Red bell pepper

2 medium, seeded and chopped

Cucumber

2 medium, chopped

Fresh lemon juice

4 Tbsp

Kosher salt

¼ tsp

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground

Olive oil

1 tsp

Garlic

1 clove(s), minced

Ground cumin

¼ tsp

Canned chickpeas

1 cup(s), rinsed and drained

Plain fat free yogurt

cup(s)

White pita

2 large, halved

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, about 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds; add the cumin and toast, stirring, about 1 minute.
  3. In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, yogurt and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice; puree, then pulse in the garlic mixture.
  4. Divide half of chickpea mixture amongst halved pitas; with a slotted spoon, divide vegetables amongst halved pitas. Fill pita halves with remaining chickpea mixture.
  5. Serving size: 1 stuffed pita half