TURKEY PITAS WITH CUCUMBERS, CHICKPEAS AND TAHINI

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Turkey Pitas With Cucumbers, Chickpeas and Tahini image

These vibrant, crunchy, creamy turkey sandwiches have all the flavors of falafel, but without the frying. They've got a lemony tahini dressing, soft chickpeas, and a cumin-scented tomato and cucumber salad, all packed into pitas with leftover turkey (use dark or white meat). The pickled red onions give these a wonderful brightness, and they're well worth the 10 extra minutes they take to make.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     dinner, lunch, weekday, sandwiches, main course

Time 15m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of granulated sugar
1/4 cup tahini
1 fat garlic clove, grated
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pitas with pockets, halved through the equator
10 ounces cooked turkey, shredded or thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup mint leaves and tender stems
Hot sauce, such as zhug or Tabasco (optional)

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, stir together onion, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, cumin and sugar. Let sit for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together tahini, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, garlic, pinch of salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water to thin the sauce. It should be thick but pourable. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice, if needed.
  • Into the bowl with onions, stir in chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes and oil. Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
  • In each pita half, layer turkey, then drizzle with tahini-lemon mixture. Add spoonfuls of chickpea salad, cilantro and mint. Drizzle liberally with more tahini sauce and zhug, if you like.

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