On Day 2 of my Vegan challenge I decided to make a vegan and gluten free snack. Usually for a crunchy snack I would pick a bag of potato chips or shrimp chips when I do my grocery shopping. However, since this week, in the spirit of trying new vegan dishes, I decided to give this recipe of chickpeas a try because I had heard from many people who are vegans and not vegans that roasted chickpeas were delicious to eat. To be honest with you, after making them myself, I can tell you that I wasn’t disappointed. I would go as far as to say that this vegan snack will remain on my must-eat even after this Vegan challenge ends.
In addition of being delicious when roasted, chickpeas are a nutrient-rich food, full of proteins, fibers, vitamins and minerals. Something I didn’t know but know now is that consuming chickpeas could have possible health benefits for a number of medical conditions. In other words, you can stay healthy while enjoying a delicious snack. Something that can’t be said about other snacks. And bonus, it’s an easy recipe with just few ingredients.
Prep: 10 min Cook: 40 min
INGREDIENTS
1 can (540 ml or 2 cups) of Chickpeas (with no added salt)
2 tablespoons of Olive oil
2 teaspoons of BBQ powder mix (I used a store-bought mix)
½ teaspoon of salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven at 400°F.
2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. On a tray lined with paper towels, spread the rinsed and drained chickpeas to allow them to dry completely. Gently pat from time to time the chickpeas with a paper towel and make sure to pick off any loose chickpea skins.
3. Once dried, transfer the chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, BBQ powder mix and salt to the chickpeas. Toss to coat all the chickpeas.
4. Spread the chickpeas on one layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
5. Put the chickpeas in the oven and let them roast for 35-40 minutes or until they become crispy and turn brown. It’s important to note that when halfway through the cooking time, toss the chickpeas with a spatula or shake the tray in order to allow the chickpeas to roast on every side evenly.
Remove them from the oven and place them on a serving plate.
Tips:
Roasted chickpeas are best when served warm because they are crunchier as opposed to when they are cool.
I love to sprinkle the roasted chickpeas with sea salt right after I take them out of the oven.
I chose to use a BBQ powder mix instead of making one myself because I wanted to save time and I was busy doing something else. However it’s totally up to you if you rather when to use your homemade BBQ mix if you have at home all the ingredients necessary.
Rita's Notebook 