Two weeks ago, my husband and I drove one of his co-workers to the Salt Lake airport. As we were going to be gone overnight, we had our oldest son and his wife stay at our house to take care of the animals. And while they were here, Jared wanted to try out a few recipes. The first was for roasted chickpeas.
I’m always on the lookout for any recipe calling for garbanzo beans. Not because I like garbanzo beans, mind you. I love the garbanzo bean juice, the aquafaba. I can’t get enough of it. There’s always something interesting to make with that aquafaba.
I was also intrigued by the recipe for the roasted chickpeas. It used basic food storage ingredients to make a somewhat healthy and satisfying snack and didn’t require a lot of hands on time. They are to be eaten as is, unlike hummus, with which you want some tortilla chips or pita bread (and which add more calories).
Roasted Chickpeas
2 cans (15 oz., each) garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon salt
2-4
teaspoons spices or fresh herbs, like curry, cumin, chili powder, rosemary,
thyme, etc.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans, reserving the aquafaba for other important uses. (You can freeze it in ice cube trays, if desired.) Plan to do this earlier in the day so the beans can air-dry, or pat them dry before moving on to the next step.
Preheat oven
to 400°F. Put the dried garbanzo beans
in a plastic baggie and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (You can use less oil, but your beans won’t
be as crispy). Shake to coat the beans
and then pour them onto the cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake on the center rack for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Remove from
the oven and sprinkle with your desired seasonings. (I personally love the curry.) Avoid the temptation to add the seasonings
before baking—they may burn and become bitter.
Not tasty.
Serve immediately while they are still crispy. In a short while they will cool and become more chewy, also interesting and enjoyable.
So there you have it—another interesting way to prepare a basic food storage item that’s healthy and helps avoid food fatigue. These roasted chickpeas also work well in place of croutons on a salad or topping soup.
Links to related posts:
Aquafaba—What
It Is and Why You Want It
Garbanzo
Beans? Chocolate Mousse? You’ve Got to be Kidding!
Olive Oil in the Prepared Pantry
Socca—Another Amazing Use for Garbanzo Beans
