A Satisfying Vegetarian Heavy-lifter
These roasted chickpeas are especially great for quick and hearty vegan and vegetarian weeknight dinners! Like many people, I haven’t totally foregone my love for meat, but I am always looking for opportunities to eat less of it and find equally tasty and satisfying plant-based protein replacements. (And while I do enjoy tempeh on occasion, I’d rather just skip the meat and go for the veggies than opt for too many soy-based meat replacements). ANYWAYS, these roasted chickpeas get a boost from salty capers and a perfect blend of Mediterranean flavors that do wonders for your weeknight dinner game. Sprinkle a handful of these over hearty soups, toss with other roasted vegetables to mix things up, stir them into easy pastas with sauteed greens, or drop a handful as the base of a mason jar salad for school or work. Because like many people––even people who love to cook––I ain’t got time for anything that’s much more elaborate than this for weeknight dinner. All in all, this roasted chickpeas recipe is my favorite discovery this year, and one that this food blogger truly makes multiple times at home when the cameras are off and no one’s looking. Make a huge batch, because you’re going to want extra!
Roasted Chickpeas: Recipe Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Drain and rinse two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas. Spread them in a single layer on a clean dish cloth and roll them in the cloth to dry them off.
Transfer to a baking sheet. Add ½ cup of large capers, drained (this is really to taste, so add more / less if you prefer). In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons honey, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch each of ground coriander, ground cumin, and paprika.
Pour over the chickpeas and the capers and toss to coat.
Bake for 30 minutes until browned and crisped, stirring once when half of the roasting time has passed. The longer you roast the chickpeas, the crunchier they get. I personally enjoy a mix of crunchier and less cooked chickpeas, but you can experiment per your preferences.
Remove from the oven and use these however you please! They can be used as a savory topper for your favorite soups, or added to your run of the mill spring mix to make a special yet easy salad. We also enjoy them in pasta.
Here are some ideas that we had! They’re all super easy, and once you have the chickpeas on hand, they shouldn’t take more than 15-30 minutes! Tomato soup
To start, we like this easy tomato soup recipe at The New York Times. Unlike many other soups, it comes together super fast (pro tip: you don’t need to saute the onions for as long as 20 minutes, OR simmer the soup for as long as 30 minutes for great results :D) Then we topped it off with crusty buttered bread and a handful of roasted chickpeas to turn the average tomato soup into a filling protein boost.
Easy Lemon Vinaigrette Salad
This has become a weeknight go-to for me. Just grab your preferred salad greens (I’m a big fan of baby kale mix), and top with some thinly sliced onion and shaved parm. Whip together a quick lemon vinaigrette––the juice of 1 lemon, about ¼-½ cup of olive oil depending on your preferences, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, pinch of salt and pepper and a teaspoon or two of honey to taste! Sprinkle with those perfectly salty bites of roasted chickpeas and capers et voila!
Tuscan Kale Pasta
These roasted chickpeas make a huge difference with this simple pasta. Boil your pasta of choice. It works well to use a pasta that is a similar shape as the chickpeas. Heat some extra virgin olive oil and a healthy knob of butter in a pan, add a good amount of chopped garlic, and brown lightly. Add in a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and 1 bunch of chopped Tuscan kale. Cook until the kale is wilted, and add a few handfuls of roasted chickpeas and capers to the pan, followed by the pasta. It’s uber duber fast, and it tastes like an Italian mama just casually whipped it up for a lazy afternoon lunch, if I do say so. :)
