The first time I had roasted chickpeas I was not impressed. They were sort of hard, and chewy and flavorless. I assumed since said chickpeas were made by a trusted source, that was just how they tasted. But last week I started doing research, and I think I figured out why. Almost every roasted chickpea recipe has you dry the chickpeas off completely, only to then toss them in olive oil. Seems counter intuitive, right? In most of the comments for these recipes people complained of the same thing; they weren’t crispy and crunchy. Then I found a few random comments of people who dry roasted them, then added olive oil at the end. Seemed to make more sense to me, so that’s what I did when I toasted these little legumes.
Wowza. Yes I just said wowza. Go ahead, laugh it up. Then make these and tell me you aren’t blown away. I was shocked at how crunchy and delicious they were. They remind me a lot of soy nuts, but I actually prefer these. Plus, they’re a perfect alternative for someone with a soy allergy. I made mine extra tasty by creating a sweet chili spice mixture that had me licking my fingers. I loved them so much I ate the whole batch. Granted it was just a “test batch” in case they sucked so there weren’t that many. As a result I had to make more the next day… which I once again ate in one sitting. Point is, you should make a bunch of these.
The best part about these crunchy beans is that you don’t have to feel bad eating a lot of them. This healthy snack is so much more filling than chips, with a whopping 15 grams of protein per cup. They’re also highly nutritious, something I cannot say about white potatoes fried in oil. One cup of chickpeas has half the recommended amount of daily fiber and one-quarter of the iron we need. That’s pretty impressive!
You can eat these as a snack, throw them in a salad and even add them to a bowl of soup. These little legumes can be stored in an air tight container, but they will lose their crunch pretty quickly. Just throw them in a toaster oven for a few minutes and in no time they’ll be crunchy once again. I did that this morning and am eating them in my salad right now! Way healthier and tastier than croutons.
I’d love to know what other creative ways these can be incorporated into dishes. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Dry Roasted Chickpeas
Print recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups chickpeas (or one can, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
| Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a paper towel or cloth, dry out the chickpeas by soaking up as much excess liquid as possible. Spread evenly on a baking sheet (do not add oil or cooking spray) and bake for 20-30 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. Note- canned chickpeas take longer, as they have been sitting in liquid. Soaked and cooked dried chickpeas take about 10 minutes less, so keep an eye on them while they're in the oven. Remove chickpeas once they're lightly browned and crisp; you should sample one to make sure they're crunchy enough for your liking. Toss roasted chickpeas with olive oil until just coated, it doesn't take much! Combine the spice mixture and add to bowl, tossing to coat. These are best served right away, but can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days. | |
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