The other night when I added canned chickpeas to a pot a soup, I paused for a moment and wondered, “Am I getting tired of chickpeas?”
Naaah.
I will always love chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans). They are the bean that shows up most often on my dinner table and will always have a spot in my pantry.
Sometimes, when I’m feeling really ambitious, I make a pot of dried chickpeas from scratch.
Most of the time, I use canned garbanzos. I put them in salads, toss them into batches of rice, add them soup and roast them in the oven.
Roasted chickpeas shrivel up into a crispier, saltier version of their fresh self. They make a good pre-dinner snack, salad topper and soup garnish.
Roasted Chickpea Recipe
1 can of chickpeas, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons of olive oil or sunflower oil
1/4 teaspoons salt
Heat oven to 425. In a 9x13 baking dish, toss the chickpeas with olive oil and salt. (You can line the baking dish with parchment for easier clean-up). Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crispy. Shake the pan once or twice as they roast.
These are best eaten the day they are roasted. You can add more flavor by sprinkling a teaspoon or so of your favorite seasoning over the beans before they roast, like curry powder, smoked paprika, etc…
Roasted chickpeas can also be part of a larger dish, like…
Chickpea Stew with Chicken and Potatoes (or leave out the chicken)
If you like coconut milk, you’ll love this rich but healthy-tasting combination of roasted carrots, potatoes and chickpeas. Adding chicken turns it into a main dish.
Instant Pot Basmati Rice with Chickpeas, Herbs and Spices
This easy Instant Pot Basmati Rice is a fabulous side dish that pairs well with just about anything. Cumin, turmeric, and a pinch of cinnamon add aromatic flavor to the rice and chickpeas. Finish the dish with fresh herbs, and you can even throw in a handful of dried fruit, like sour cherries or cranberries. Maybe it should show up on your Thanksgiving table?
Vegetarian Slow Cooker Stew
A healthy slow cooker stew made from bell peppers, zucchini, chickpeas, fire roasted tomatoes and a pinch of Italian flavor. I love this veggie stew, my kids are more “meh” about it. I always serve garlic bread, or bread and pesto on the side so they have another way to fill up at dinner.
Dinner Last Week
I’m always curious about what other families are eating. Aren’t you? Here’s what my crew ate last week.
Monday: Halloween! We had friends over for chicken chili, mini corn muffins and macaroni and cheese. All 3 recipes came from the What to Cook newsletter.
Tuesday: Kielbasa, Instant Pot potatoes and carrots, salad and sliced oranges
Wednesday: Broiled Tofu and rice + raw snap peas
Thursday: Chicken and white bean soup with tomatoes & basil (a recipe I’m working on that’s not quite ready to publish yet, so stay tuned!)
Friday: Leftovers
Cookbooks
This week I re-visited Dinner the Playbook by Jenny Rosenstrach. It combines simple strategies for getting dinner on the table with very family-friendly recipes, such as sloppy Joes, BBQ chicken sandwiches and vegetable-loaded fried rice. There is a lot to choose from in this cheerful cookbook. It’s a great one if you’re hungry for new, easy recipes to add to your dinner rotation.
Please note that book titles in this section are Bookshop.org affiliate links. Your cost for purchasing the book is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to me and help support my work. When ordering from Bookshop.org you’ll also be supporting independent bookstores.
Hope you have a great weekend! We’re celebrating my daughter’s 12th birthday (today!) but she’s in bed with the same fever and sore throat my 8 year old had last weekend. I know I’m not the only one dealing with an endless parade of illness this fall, so for all you other parents out there, I see you!
Jenny
P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this free newsletter, hitting the heart button at the top or bottom of the newsletter is great way to show your support. Thanks!