These crispy chickpeas are seasoned with fresh herbs to make an amazing addition to salads, hummus or even sandwiches!
One of my favorite salads is a chopped salad inspired by Maggiano’s Restaurant here in Chicago. I often stopped there for lunch when my office was in the suburbs. But after a while don’t you get bored with the same old salad? I mean, how many times can you have lettuce, tomatoes and chicken? So over the summer, I set out to update some of my favorite recipes, including that chopped salad I mentioned. These herbed crispy chickpeas were born out of my quest to add something new to spice up the salad!
Most crispy chickpea recipes I’ve seen roast the chickpeas in the oven, which works great except who wants to turn on your oven, even on low heat, for over an hour on a hot summer day? Not me – that’s something I try to avoid whenever it’s hot out! So I set out to make them without roasting them for hours, and I gotta admit, it took a couple of tries to get these right. But it was worth the effort, as the end result is a super tasty way to add some protein to a variety of different dishes. They make a great snack too!
People sometimes ask me if a recipe will taste as good with canned beans. My answer is a resounding yes! I mean, if you are really into it, you can go through the process of using dried beans, but these days you can find good, organic canned beans with little or no added salt – just beans and water. Mariano’s (Roundy’s) and Whole Foods both carry them here in Chicago.
So, what’s the plan? Well, it’s pretty simple, drain & dry some chickpeas, heat up a non-stick skillet, add the chickpeas and some garlic and let them cook. Then you stir in some fresh herbs at the end and you’ve got that great salad topping you’ve been looking for!
If you are looking for a salad with crispy chickpeas checkout this Chopped Salad in a Jar and if sandwiches are more your thing check out this Herbed Chickpea Wrap.
Herbed Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- pinch of dried lemon peel
- pinch of sea salt
- ⅓ cup fresh herbs, minced
Instructions
- Spread the chickpeas onto a plate lined with a paper towel and pat dry.
- In a non-stick skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and garlic. Season with pepper, lemon peel and salt. Cook for 12 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the herbs.
Mmmm, this looks and sounds so good.I love chickpeas, and can’t wait to try this recipe.
The very first Maggiano’s that I ever tried was the one in Chicago. Do they still have the corner bakery next door?
Thanks for the chickpea recipe. I’ve been thinking of making some for a long time but just haven’t. I believe that your recipe is the prompt that works! Thanksl
Glad to hear I might have provided some inspiration! I totally know that Magliano’s but Corner Bakery isn’t next door any longer.
Love the idea of chrispy herbed chickpeas.. Must trh. Pinned for later. thanks
Crisp chickpeas are delicious but I’ve never tried to make them. I’m loving your addition of lemon peel it would add a delicious brightness to the herbed chickpeas!