Salads are awesome. Tasty, healthy, well, that’s subjective depending on ingredients. A light meal, that you don’t have to feel guilty about. So when you serve that salad, well, a nice topping is good. Something with a little crunch. Well, there are croutons, those flavorful squares of crunchy toasted bread, full of seasonings. That’s for another post. No, I have another idea. Roasted Chickpea salad topping. Flavorful and crunchy, and you get to choose the spices. Please read on
Toppings
Adding a something a little crunchy to a salad is nothing new. Walnuts, Sunflower seeds, Apples, Pine nuts, these are all options. So, lets take something healthy and hearty, roasted with the spice you get to choose. One of the great advantages of cooking at home, is that you get to choose the ingredients in the dishes. So rather than grabbing a box of whatever off the shelf to add to the salad, make your own. Start with a can of Chickpeas
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are good for you, full of protein and dietary fiber and a whole bunch of other goodies. Pour the contents of the can into a strainer and rinse under water. Shake as much of the water off the chickpeas as possible just by shaking the strainer. Line an appropriate size bowl with a couple of sheets of paper towels and pour the rinsed chick peas in. Dry them as best as possible and remove the paper towel. Oil doesn’t stick well to a wet chickpea, so dry it a bit. The oil will give it the crunch. Now for the good part, the seasoning.
How to
Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl and swirl the chickpeas around to coat. Now add the flavoring of your choice. I sprinkle salt, pepper and some garlic powder and mix well. But, the options are limitless, maybe some heat, cayenne or ground red pepper flakes. Lemon pepper works well too. Maybe you have a favorite spice. Either way, sprinkle is the key, a little spice always goes a long way, so no measuring devices, just a light sprinkle. Pour the oiled and seasoned chickpeas onto a parchment paper lined baking tray, making sure they’re a single layer, put them in a preheated 400 degree oven. My oven is good for about 15-20, you need to keep an eye on them. Bear in mind the final texture is subjective, it’s all in the ratio of crunch on the outside to soft on the inside.
When done, pour into a bowl and add place on the table, add as you like. Enjoy the roasted chickpea salad topping, and thank you for reading.