I’m a big fan of eating dinner out of bowls – especially Buddha bowls, packed with plant-based goodies. I like to use these chickpeas as a delicious base for a Buddha bowl; the recipe is quick and fills the need for protein when the fridge is otherwise bare. Along with the chickpeas, I make a simple yogurt-tahini sauce, usually with Mermaid Farm yogurt. This is a super quick and delicious sauce that you can vary (more tahini, more lemon) as you like. I serve the chickpeas snuggled into a bowl with generous helpings of greens and rice. My favorite tahini is from Soom Foods.
Editor’s note: Pair these chickpeas with Swiss Chard and Peas with Maple-Balsamic-Lemon Sauce and a simple rice pilaf, Green Rice, or long or short grain brown rice, cooked pasta-style.
Serves 4
• 1 cup Mermaid Farm yogurt or ¾ cup Greek-style yogurt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion (about 5 ounces), chopped
• Kosher salt
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped, plus 1 to 2 more cloves, grated or pressed, for the sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
• 2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed well
• 1 lemon, halved (plus ½ lemon to taste)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 to 4 tablespoons tahini (well-stirred)
• Greens and rice for serving
1. If using Mermaid Farm yogurt, put it in a fine strainer in the sink or over a bowl to drain while you make the chickpeas. (If using Greek yogurt, there is no need to strain.)
2. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet (that has a lid) or a small Dutch oven. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until a light golden color, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the 2 to 3 chopped garlic cloves, the turmeric, and the cayenne. Cook until the garlic is softened 30 seconds or so.
4. Add the chickpeas and 1 cup water, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the heat. Extract the juice from one half of the lemon and add it to the pot. Add most of the parsley and stir. Taste for salt and season if you like.
6. Finish the sauce: Combine the strained yogurt (or unstrained Greek yogurt), the tahini (start with 2 tablespoons), the 1 to 2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix thoroughly to incorporate the tahini. Extract the juice from the second lemon half and add it to the tahini-yogurt mix. Taste for salt and season. Stir in more tahini or lemon juice (use the extra lemon half) if desired. (Editor’s note: If using Greek yogurt, the sauce may be quite thick; you can thin it with a little bit of water. Season generously with lemon and salt.)
7. Serve the chickpeas, along with the greens and rice, snuggled in bowls and garnished with some of the sauce and the rest of the parsley.
