Have you ever paused to ask yourself why there are multiple options of canned baked beans in the supermarket but there aren’t any flavoured canned chickpea products?
You haven’t?
OK well luckily my crazy brain asks these types of questions on the regular.
Which is where the idea for some of my favourite recipes comes from.
Case in point these home ‘baked’ chickpeas. We’re talking the tomatoey goodness of baked beans with the superior flavour of the humble chickpea. For me they’re better than baked beans but even if you’re a die-hard baked beans fan this will give you options.
And I know it’s a bit weird to use the canning liquid but it does combine with the butter and tomato paste to make the sauce extra tasty. Plus you can give yourself a little virtuous pat on the back from not wasting food.
Oh and the ‘baked’ comes from the fact that we’re not actually putting these in the oven – just warming everything in a saucepan on the stove top – much quicker thank waiting for the oven to heat.
Home 'Baked' Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz) including juice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons butter
PLUS Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin optional
- baby spinach or other salad to serve
Instructions
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Place chickpeas and the juice from the can in a medium saucepan on a high heat.
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Add tomato paste, cumin (if using) and butter and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up a little.
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Season and serve hot chickpeas on a bed of baby spinach (if using)
Recipe Video
Variations and Substitutions for Home ‘Baked’ Chickpeas
carnivore – brown 1-2 sliced chorizo, sausage or bacon in the pan before adding the chickpeas and continuing with above instructions.
vegan / dairy-free – replace the butter with a few generous drizzles of good extra virgin olive oil.
hot! – add in a few finely chopped red chillies OR some dried chili powder 1/2 – 1 teaspoon should do it or cayenne pepper.
beans – replace chickpeas with canned beans such as garbanzo beans.
budget – soak and cook dried chickpeas from scratch. Then use about 1/2 cup cooking liquid and 1 1/2 cups chickpeas.
carb lovers / more substantial – serve the chickpeas with warm flat bread or tortillas.
paleo (gluten, grain + dairy-free) – replace chickpeas with diced roast veg. Serve in a bowl with cooked protein like poached or fried eggs.
more veg – soften an onion, carrot and celery before adding chickpeas. Or add some fresh green herbs to finish such as thyme, rosemary, oregano.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
chickpeas / tomato paste / ground cumin – keep them in the pantry.
butter – will keep in the fridge for months.
baby spinach – either freeze or wilt down in a pan with a little oil and then keep in the fridge for weeks.
Problem Solving Guide
too bland? – add in a little more tomato paste and cumin.
too salty – the canned chickpeas and tomato paste are both providing quite a bit of salt. If the flavor is too intense, dilute with a little more (unsalted) butter OR a few glugs of extra-virgin olive oil.
watery – the sauce isn’t meant to be overly thick. But if you’re not happy, keep simmering uncovered until you are happy with the texture.
no ground cumin? – just skip it. Or try some ground coriander or smoked paprika for a different vibe.
too sharp – sounds like too much tomato paste and not enough butter.
Prepare Ahead?
Absolutely. Just refrigerate and reheat.
Leftover Potential
This dish will keep for a week or so in the fridge. Although best to keep the spinach separate to make the chickpeas easier to reheat.
Serving Suggestions
Great as a breakfast or a light lunch or dinner or a healthy snack.
More Recipes like this Home ‘Baked’ Chickpeas recipes
- killer home baked beans in 2 easy steps
- Chickpea ‘Chilli’
- Hot Cheesy Chickpeas
- Chorizo with Chickpeas & Tomato
- Mushrooms with Butter Beans
With Love
Jules x