The chickpea is the hero in my house lately. I feel like everything I make has chickpeas in it. Thankfully we buy them in bulk so we always have an abundance.
Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and several key vitamins and minerals. A one-cup serving of cooked chickpeas contains about 15 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. They are also rich in folate, iron, phosphorus, and manganese. Additionally, chickpeas are low in fat and contain no cholesterol. Do you get why they are a hero in my house?
Today I made a whole food plant-based casserole for dinner. The base was wild rice, and then I added chopped broccoli, cauliflower, and peas. I topped that off with my favorite dairy-free sauce. See the recipe video below. Finally, I added the yummy chickpea “NO” Breadcrumb topping on top for that special crunch.
Chickpea “NO” Breadcrumbs
Equipment
- Food Processor or Mixer
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cans cooked chickpeas You can also use dried beans and cook them in your pressure cooker.
- 2 tbsp seasoning of your choice I used "Everything But The Bagel" Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
- If you are using canned chickpeas make sure you rinse and drain the chickpeas then blot them dry. If you are using chickpeas from dried beans make sure you rinse them as well. You want to always rinse your beans till you do not see any bubbles or what some call bean foam. Fun fact: Beans and legumes tend to foam up because of their chemical makeup. They contain starches and proteins that can cause this phenomenon to some degree, but the larger cause is the presence of saponins — a compound that causes soapy bubbles to appear when introduced to liquids like water. When you rinse your beans, it rinses the saponins off and will help reduce the bloat that sometimes follows beans :-)
- Next take your dry chickpeas and spread them on a baking sheet. I line my baking sheet with parchment paper. Try to spread them out so they are not crowded on the sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. Every oven is different so keep an eye on them.
- Let the cooked chickpeas rest for about 10 minutes on the counter. Once cooled transfer the beans to a food processor, Bimby/Thermomix or high-speed blender and pulse a few times. Be careful not to over-process them, you want a breadcrumb consistency.
- Now transfer the chcikpea crumbs back to the oven so they can get an additional toast. The second cooking time varies each time for me. It depends how toasty I got the chickpeas during the first cooking.
- When you are satisfied with the color transfer the Chickpea"NO" Breadcrumbs to an airtight container and use them within a month. You can keep the container on the counter away from the sunlight.
Looks amazing
They are really good and add a healthy crunch to your dishes.
I love chickpeas so will try this recipe! Thanks!
Me too Paula. Have you tried a chickpea crust pizza? OMG it is so good. Let me know if you want a recipe.