Healthy Eats: Crispy Chickpeas

By Trish Coffman

Who in their right mind doesn’t love a snack with a little crunch?

And it’s even better when that crunch is developed via your own kitchen, rather than courtesy of food science — and when it’s accompanied by a trifecta of good-for-you-ness: fiber, protein, and B-vitamins (which, incidentally, show up in greater concentrations in canned chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans). Tailor the flavors to your tastes, then munch them straight out of hand. They are also a spiffy topping for your usual green salad (try topping a mix of greens, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and feta).

You will need:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Your choice of herbs and seasonings, such as

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
• zest of a lemon
• Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp ground spices (we like a mix of cumin, coriander and smoked paprika)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine chickpeas in a bowl with the olive oil, herbs and/or seasonings, plus a generous scattering of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Spread the chickpeas on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for about 40 to 45 minutes, shaking the pan every 15 minutes, until toasty brown and crunchy. These are best eaten immediately (though they are perfectly edible stored in the fridge and eaten over a couple of days, they will lose their crunch).