Given I don't eat a lot of stand-in meat products, I rely heavily on legumes to be the star of my meals (and protein filler!) If you've hung around long enough on the site, you probably know that chickpeas are my favorite. These versatile legumes can transform into so many different meals and they soak up flavor to push vegetarian meals over the top. I've been making spiced chickpeas in some form or another for as long as I can remember. They are simple, ready in 20 minutes or less, and can be a dinner saver when I have nothing planned. I still remember my first version of these chickpeas contained buffalo sauce (delicious still) but I've found the recipe below to be more adaptable to spices and meals. A perfect addition to component cooking!
The beautiful part of these spiced chickpeas is the endless amount of spice variations. I could give you dozens but I'm going to include only a few of my favorites. Chickpeas soak up spices so well, it's worth experimenting with whatever you might have floating around your pantry.
Chipotle: Replace the smoked paprika, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves with 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or a small amount of chipotles in adobo. This variation can get hot pretty fast so start with small amounts of chipotle and add until you're desired heat level.
Curry: Instead of the spices listed, use a store-bought curry powder or make your own!
Jerk: I love using jerk seasoning with vegetables but it also works well with chickpeas. You can find this blend in stores or this is another great one to make at home.
Roasting: If I already have my oven going, I find it's easy to pop a pan of chickpeas in the oven with this spice mixture and garlic (similar to this recipe). If you let the chickpeas roast long enough, they become crispy and you have the perfect snack!
Spice-level: I left the cayenne at a minimum in the base recipe but feel free to spice it up to match you personal taste.
Salad: Toss in a salad with your favorite roasted vegetables and greens. Works well with a lemon vinaigrette, creamy avocado dressing, or a nice yogurt/feta dressing.
Loaded Potatoes: Add to the top of a potato with yogurt or pour a little cashew cream or regular cream into the pan to make a sauce with the chickpeas.
Grain Bowls: Similar to the salad- make a grain bowl with cooked grains, roasted vegetables, and a simple dressing. These
Stuffed Pita or Naan: After cooking, lightly mash and stuffed in a pita or naan for lunch along with hummus and greens.
Eggs/Tofu: Fry and egg or tofu and eat with the chickpeas- I've found with a few slices of avocado, this is a solid protein-heavy breakfast.
Savory Waffle: Use these spiced chickpeas on top of a savory waffle with either a yogurt sauce or poached egg.
Hummus: Make a big bowl of hummus and use these chickpeas as the topping!
Chickpeas are a staple in my cooking. Thanks for sharing your unique spin on them! - Stephanie
I use chickpeas more than any other legume. I love the chipotle spin on these that you posted! Chickpeas have a flavor that be customized in a million different manners.
Yum!! This bowl looks so delicious and nutritious too!
These sound great, though I would probably play with the spice mix (my husband and I are not fans of cloves). Thought you might like to know that there is no link for the nutrition and the print link doesn't work.
Hi Susan- that's the great thing about these, so many different spice blends would work well! I updated the nutrition information and I'm able to see open the print, so I'm not sure what's happening. I'll keep checking it out though!