Chopped Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Avocado (Lidey Heuck, NYT Cooking)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups small (½-inch) diced stale bread, buns or pita (about 3 to 4 ounces)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 romaine heart, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 medium (or ½ large) English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
• ½ cup pitted black olives, roughly chopped (about 3 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon drained capers, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 firm-ripe avocado, halved, pitted and diced
• ¾ cup diced or crumbled feta cheese (about 4 ounces)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, basil, mint or parsley, plus more for serving

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the diced bread on a sheet pan, drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until well toasted. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the romaine pieces in a large mixing bowl, along with the chickpeas, cucumber, and olives.

In a small bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons olive oil with the vinegar, capers, shallots, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and whisk well. Pour enough dressing over the salad to moisten; toss well. Add the avocado, feta and herbs and toss gently, adding more dressing to taste. Top with the croutons and a generous sprinkle of herbs and serve.