I have not bought lunch a single day this semester. I am on campus for lunch four, or sometimes five, days a week. This is a difficult proposition, but I have been adamant. For one, I don’t really have time. But, more importantly, for two: I don’t really have the inclination. I think the situation may be worse in a location that is crawling with thousands of undergrads (pizza, anyone? and…more pizza? and subs), but maybe you experience this problem, too. Lunch is often time-consuming (lines); not really what you want anyway (pizza); not that healthy (most anything take-out); and very often quite expensive, at least for what you’re getting.

Hence, my fervency about bringing my own lunch. This isn’t always a perfect system; sometimes it ends with me bringing a sad little jar of soup and coming home ravenous at the end of the day. Those aren’t the good brown-bagging days.

This chickpea salad, though. This made for some good brown-bagging days.

I got the idea for this after eating at a new Indian/Nepalase restaurant, where they served us a warm chickpea salad as a free starter. All of the food was delicious, but as my dining companion noted, there are only so many ways to improve on palak paneer. This chickpea dish, on the other hand, was something entirely new, and was one of the best — or at least most memorable — things we ate.

It wasn’t chana masala, but what was it? I may never know, or at least not until I return and inquire. (Any ideas would be appreciated!) Instead, I thought I’d make my own version. For some reason, I thought I’d be able to replicate the dish. This chickpea salad, in fact, comes nowhere close, but is super delicious in its own right — where the restaurant version was complex and thickly spiced, this version has a freshness and a purity to its flavors that is equally enticing, and maybe actually better for a workaday lunch, when it’s not in your best interest to be lulled into a food/spice coma.

I had all these ingredients in my fridge/pantry; that’s why this came together exactly as it did. You could substitute lemon (or maybe even vinegar) for lime; other chilies for the jalapeños; cilantro for parsley; other onion-family members for red onion; other vegetables (red bell pepper?) for tomatoes. Really, this should require minimal thought and minimal effort, for maximum satisfaction.

The result is kind of like a chickpea tabbouleh, but with the flavors pumped up a bit. I had to restrain myself from eating the whole thing immediately, in order to have any for my week’s lunch.

This would go well with any number of grains, but particularly well with quinoa. I threw some salad greens in my tupperware for good measure. And, in no time, lunch becomes something to look forward to again.

Chickpea Salad with Lime and Jalapeño

Makes 2 lunch-sized servings, with grains and lettuce

Ingredients

- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- juice of 1 lime

- 1/2 red onion, chopped fine

- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded (carefully!) and minced

- 1 good handful parsley, chopped

- 1-2 tomatoes, chopped

- extra-virgin olive oil

- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in medium-sized bowl. (Combine everything except olive oil first, then glug in as much olive oil as you want.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Will keep, in a tupperware, in the fridge, for at least a few days.

This semester, I am on campus for lunch two days a week. I know — a measly two days is nothing. You, dear reader, are probably at work for lunch five whole days a week. Well, all the better for you. Because I’ve had to start thinking about how to pack my lunch.

What did I eat for lunch when I was a working woman? Good question. A lot of cafeteria food (no, no woe is me, we’re talking Conde cafeteria here). A lot of Midtown Lunch recs. Leftovers, sometimes, if I was being good. One of the big differences between eating lunch at work and eating lunch at school is that when I was eating lunch at work it was almost a daily requirement to at least go to the caf, to stretch my legs and take a break and probably run into some friends (the Conde caf is nothing if not a better-dressed high school cafeteria with long lines for sushi). At school, I don’t need the break, I need something fast, and cheap, and healthy. And maybe, wherever you lunch, you do, too?

Enter tabbouleh. Certainly not just for lunch, but a perfect lunch candidate. You can make it ahead (it will keep for some time — a week? more?); you can tote it around with you sans refrigeration (at least in Minnesota winter); it’s filling; and it isn’t terrible for you, not by a long shot.

A Middle Eastern “salad,” true tabbouleh is actually supposed to be mostly parsley. That’s probably delicious, too, but not quite as lunch-worthy; more of an appetizer, or part of a dip platter, which is how tabbouleh is traditionally served. But since I wanted to break tradition a little and incorporate more bulgur (more heartiness), I went all the way and used this recipe from the Food Network’s own doyenne of Hamptons-style luxury, Ina Garten.

Couldn’t be better — a mix of crunchy vegetables and chewy bulgur, a bright burst of lemon juice, a pick me up from the parsley. Serve with romaine lettuce leaves for extra crunch, maybe some broiled chicken breast (that you’ve doused with ground cumin pre-broiling) for extra protein, and homemade hummus (recipe coming next week) for a little added richness.

Tabbouleh

Serves 6, I’d say

Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 2 teaspoons salt, or more, to taste
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
• 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

2. Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper; mix well. Add more salt and/or pepper to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.