Lamb and Chickpea Salad

First full week of summer and the house is running at maximum capacity. Four kids home means four kids' worth of energy and appetite and noise, which I experience as fundamentally correct even when it's loud. I grew up in a house of five kids and quiet was an anomaly, something that happened at night and between school years at most. A loud house is the right container for childhood. That's my position and I've been living it for years.

Summer cooking is its own mode. I grill most nights. I do one big slow cook on the weekends — brisket or posole or the Sunday stew — and the grill handles the weeknights. Monday through Friday I can put food on the table in forty minutes because everything on the grill is thirty minutes at most if you know what you're doing. This week: steaks Monday (with the compound butter from the freezer), chicken thighs Tuesday (honey dry rub, the twins' current favorite), grilled corn and quesadillas Wednesday (quick, intentional, nobody complained), shrimp tacos Thursday (green chile crema, pickled jalapeños), burgers Friday (always Friday, always burgers).

Sofia asked me this week if she could start training seriously for longer races. She's been racing 5Ks and 10Ks for eight months and she's getting faster each time. She said, "I want to run a half marathon." I said you're eight. She said, "Almost nine." I said let me think about it. I thought about it for one day and then said yes, we'll start a training plan together. She received this with a calm that suggested she expected yes. I've been underestimating Sofia my whole life. This is a recurring theme. I'm trying to learn from it.

The shrimp tacos got all the attention Thursday, but the recipe I keep coming back to — the one that earns a permanent slot between the chicken thighs and the burgers — is this lamb and chickpea salad. It’s got the same weeknight logic I run on all summer: grill the protein, pull it together fast, put something real on the table. Sofia helped me plate it one evening and declared it “fancy but not complicated,” which is exactly the category I’m always aiming for.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb lamb loin chops or leg steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5 oz baby arugula or mixed greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Season the lamb. Pat lamb dry with paper towels. Rub all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the cumin, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the grill heats.
Grill the lamb. Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Cook lamb 5–6 minutes per side for medium (internal temp 145°F), or adjust to your preference. Transfer to a cutting board and rest 5 minutes.
Make the dressing. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Warm the chickpeas. While lamb rests, add drained chickpeas to the warm grill pan or a small skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, tossing until just heated through and lightly crisped on the edges. Season with a pinch of salt.
Slice the lamb. Cut lamb against the grain into 1/2-inch slices, catching any resting juices to drizzle over the salad.
Assemble. Spread arugula on a large platter. Top with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. Lay sliced lamb over the top. Drizzle with dressing and any reserved lamb juices. Scatter feta and fresh mint over everything.
Serve immediately. This salad is best eaten right away while the lamb is still warm against the cool greens.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lamb and Chickpea Salad — The Weeknight Grill That Earns Its Place in the Rotation