Nutrition tip: If you’re not satisfied when you eat a salad, try adding texture. (This goes for all meals.)
One of my favorite and easy toppings for a salad with creamy dressing (and warm, shaved Brussels sprouts and creamy pasta and whipped hummus and thick soup) is the crispy chickpea. It’s starchy and crunchy and comforting and protein-rich (1 can = about 20g of protein, and yes I use the whole can). And it requires minimal culinary expertise and cooking time before it’s ready to be dumped onto your salad, which I’m all about.
Recipe: Crispy Chickenless Chickpeas
For salad toppings, fork-less snacks, etc.
Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1 can chickpeas
Black pepper
Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning Salt from Trader Joe’s
Make It
Spray a medium, non-stick pan with olive oil spray. Place on the stove with a high setting. Rinse your chickpeas and toss them into the pan. Stir frequently for 3 minutes on high, watching so they don’t burn. After 3 minutes, switch to medium heat. Sprinkle the Vegan Chicken-Less Seasoning Salt across the tops of the chickpeas (I really like to coat them). Sprinkle the black pepper as well – a bit less liberally unless you’re really into that kick. Continue to stir frequently to prevent burning – you should be able to hear them hissing and crackling at this point. After 8-10 minutes on medium heat, the chickpeas should be browning, with a crispy coating (test one out). At this point, take the pan off the heat and let the chickpeas cool in the pan while drying out just a little more. Give the pan a shake every couple of minutes. After 5-10 minutes of cooling, toss them in a bowl or onto a creamy salad.
