Oven-roasted smoky chickpeas

If you have followed me here on the blog or on Instagram for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I’m quite obsessed with toppings. On oatmeal, salads, soups and slices of bread – toppings work fine on everything, believe me. We have a kitchen drawer filled of jars with legumes, seeds, nuts, nut butters and tahini. I stand with my head in the drawer, botanizing, drooling (probably) and thinking. Then I come up with a combination of seeds and nuts and whatever, that will serve as toppings. Most of the time I combine the seed mix with slices of fruit or vegetables and probably a handful of fresh herbs of some kind.

With toppings, even the most boring of dishes can become vibrant and look appetizing. Besides, fruit and nuts are rich in nutrients, so adding them to your food can make your dish even healthier. The real reason that I’m using toppings on everything is that the food tastes so much better. I mean, if you compare a bowl of oatmeal served with plant mylk with a bowl of oatmeal served with plant mylk AND fresh raspberries, half an avocado, hemp seeds, a spoonful nut butter and some fresh mint. Who wouldn’t pick number two? I always say that I eat the oatmeal only so that I get to eat the toppings 😉

Which toppings I use depends on the meal. I usually don’t have the same toppings on breakfasts as on dinners. Dinners are often served with something more filling and ”foody” and this is where today’s recipe fits in. Oven-roasted chickpeas has been a favorite of mine ever since I adapted a vegetarian/vegan diet. At that time, I actually ate oven-roasted chickpeas every single day. It was my source to protein at every dinner for 3 months. I’m not kidding. I was obsessed with it (and still am). What I served them with varied of course, and I had other things for breakfast and lunch. But still. With that in mind, I dare to call myself an expert when it comes to oven-roasted chickpeas.

Even though it works just fine to simply roast the chickpeas as they are, or with some sea salt, my greatest tip is to roast them with chili flakes and smoked paprika. The combination gives the chickpeas a lovely taste and makes them a bit more spicy. Well, time for the recipe.