Roasted Chickpeas 

vegan, gluten-free (if using tamari), nut-free, refined sugar-free (potentially)

Adapted from recipe on OneGreenPlanet.org

These make a flavorful, crispy snack that will please even those who don't care for beans. The texture more closely resembles roasted nuts. You can serve these atop salads (they're especially good with this Mango-Avocado Salad or this Lemony Kale Salad), as a high-protein side dish with rice and vegetables, or on their own as a snack. UPDATE: I recently discovered that roasting dried chickpeas without boiling them first yields a much crispier final product that will retain its crispiness even when stored in a container for a few days. See additional notes!

Makes a great topping for Mango-Avocado-Kale Salad with Ginger-Sesame-Orange Dressing

Serves: 4 / Active time: 5 minutes / Total time: 35 minutes (pre-cooked chickpeas); 25 hours (dried chickpeas)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked or one 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well OR 1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas (soaked in plenty of water for 24 hours)
• 2 teaspoons oil

Optional add-ins:

• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup*
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke 

Directions:

1. If using dried chickpeas, be sure to soak in plenty of water in the fridge for 24 hours - they will easily double in size! Drain and rinse the chickpeas. You can microwave them for five minutes to give them a head start (but not necessary).
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
3. If using optional added liquids like maple syrup and soy sauce, line a shallow baking dish or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Otherwise, you can roast the chickpeas right on the cookie sheet.
4. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine and coat the chickpeas.
5. Transfer the chickpeas to the prepared baking dish and spread them in a single layer.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Sample for crispness. If roasting from dried chickpeas, they will probably need more time so turn down the oven to 325°F and roast another 15-30 min, shaking the pan every ten minutes or so. If they start to brown, you can also turn off the oven with the door shut to allow them to crisp up more without over-browning.**

*You can play around with the ingredients to find your favorite combo! The liquid ingredients are messy but tasty. I usually just add oil and a little salt and nooch for a versatile snack that goes with pretty much anything!
**If you have any leftovers, store them in the fridge and reheat in an oven or toaster oven to regain their crispiness (if roasted from dried, they will be fine stored in an air-tight container on the countertop and won't need recrisping!)