Roasted Chickpeas

I was first introduced to roasted chickpeas about 12 years ago. I was working with a lovely Indian woman who had shared her food with me and from then on I was hooked!

Growing up, the only way we ate chick peas was “pasta e ceci”, which translates to chick peas with homemade pasta in sauce. When I first saw them roasted, I was hesitant, thinking crispy chick peas? No way! I was wrong. The funny part was I gave them to my father, thinking that his reaction would be “are you nuts, roasted ceci?”. Instead, he turned to me and said “they’re good, but we used to roast chick peas all the time growing up in Italy. It was the perfect snack”. I guess I learned something new…

Chick peas are loaded with nutrients. Legumes contain high amounts of protein, a good source of iron, folate, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins as well. They are also quite filling, which helps out if you’re trying to cut back on food consumption.

Moral of the story, is that chick peas are a great snack to take to work or work from home, because you’re giving your body fuel it needs to get you through the day, while satisfying those salty taste buds. This recipe is really easy and can be done on a Sunday afternoon to get you ready for the week. The beauty about roasting chick peas is that they are so versatile in flavour, you can add any spices you like.

TIP: Make sure the chickpeas are patted dry before roasting, or else they won’t crisp well.

Now this recipe can go both ways, you can buy dry packaged chick peas and soak overnight OR you can buy canned chick peas, pat them dry and roast them right away. I chose to soak dry chick peas (because I’m an italian grandma at heart).

Roasted chickpeas are a great alternative to croutons.

They say they can last up to 5 days when roasted, but honestly I’ve had them out for over a week and they stayed crispy and tasty just as the first day.

Roasted Chick Peas

Ingredients:

• 400-500 grams of dry chick peas (placed in a pot and soaked in water for at least 12 hours)
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• You can line the tray with parchment paper, I didn’t and they did not stick to the pan.

Directions:

1. On a baking tray, line it with paper towels and let the towel absorb some of the water in the chick peas.
2. Preheat oven at 400 degrees (if you have the option, place it on convention roast)
3. You can line the tray with parchment paper, I didn’t and they did not stick to the pan.
4. Remove the paper towels and combine olive oil and sea salt, until they are well coated. If you need a little more that is up to you, I may have added a little extra olive oil.
5. Roast them for about 30 minutes, I usually give them a shake in between.
6. Add the seasonings until they are fully coated (I would add the spices shortly after they come out of the oven for better absorption).

Enjoy!

Antonietta xo