We have recently become obsessed with chickpeas. I’m not sure exactly when or why it happened, but somehow I keep finding recipes with chickpeas on my weekly menus. Not only are these chickpea dishes making their way on my menus like some sneaky guest you don’t remember inviting, but they’re becoming the star of the party! Week after week these seemingly simple dishes have blown both Christian and I away, becoming our favorite dinner of the week. You know, the kind where you’re excitedly awaiting the leftovers. Don’t get me wrong…we’ve always liked chickpeas, but all of a sudden we love chickpeas!
Since they’ve been such a welcome part of our dinners lately I thought I’d share a few of our favorite dishes that feature chickpeas. The name of each dish is linked to the recipe so you can make them yourself. Besides all having chickpeas, the other commonality that these dishes have is that they are all super simple as well. What could be better than simple and delicious?! Oh….healthy. Yup, these dinners fit that bill as well!
First up? Butternut Squash & Chickpea Farroto. This is a play on risotto but with a Middle Eastern twist and much less stirring than traditional risotto. Make sure to read your farro instructions the day before in case you have to soak them overnight. The yogurt sauce on top is a must…truly elevates this dish from good to great. We first made this a couple of months ago and I wrote a seperate post on it that you can read here, but we just made this one again this week and it’s just as good as I remembered. I encourage you to add it to your own menu soon…great, healthy, vegetarian dinner. This one will become a staple, I promise.
Next, is one we made two weeks ago…Chicken & Chickpea Stew. This one is so rustic, hearty and satisfying. I also love that it’s a one pot dish…nice easy clean up (although let’s be honest, Christian does almost all of our dishes around here!) This one reminds me of something my grandma might have made on a cold winter night…full of flavor and love. The addition of roasted red peppers really adds nice flavor…but don’t waste the money on buying them. Making them yourself is easy enough, kind of fun and makes your house smell delish. If you’ve never roasted your own peppers stay tuned…I’ll be writing up a post on this very topic soon!
The third one is a dish we made last week, and I vividly remember our first night being so surprisingly delicious that I couldn’t wait for the leftovers night. Curried Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew. Cauliflower and chickpeas…enough to make any kid wrinkle up their face and beg for pizza. To be honest, this one might be a bit too spicy for the kids but oh man…for us adults the heat from the curry powder is so fantastic! It’s that deep, smoky heat that doesn’t make your lips or tongue burn at all, but instead lingers at the back of the throat for the whole meal just making you dig in for one more bite after every one that you say is your last. We served ours over basmati rice to help it stretch for a few meals but you could also serve this over a nice bitter green and it would be a bit lighter but still just as delicious. Can’t wait for dinner tomorrow!
Last, but certainly not least is one that we’ve been making for a while. Chickpea & Kale Soup with Diavolicchio (red pepper oil…that blackish stuff you see drizzled on top in the photo above). You have to make the Diavolicchio in advance, but it’s super easy to make and once you have it on hand you’ll be dipping everything in it. I seriously find Christian “secret eating” in the kitchen sometimes dipping sliced bread into this stuff. It’s addictive! The soup is super hearty and healthy….perfect for a cold rainy night. It freezes really well also so make a double batch and freeze some for lunch or future dinners.
So…there you go. Four SavoryGirl approved dishes to get you just as hooked on chickpeas as we are. And don’t worry yourself about dried vs. canned. If you have time for the soaking, certainly go for some high quality dried chickpeas. But to be honest 90% of the time I use canned chickpeas that I just rinse and drain and still these dishes are fantastic!
Do you have favorite chickpea dishes of your own? If so, do share!
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