Roasted Chickpea Pitas

I think if I were a chickpea, I wouldn’t be very happy. Poor chickpeas. They’re always getting mashed, pounded, and ground up for things like hummus and falafel, or playing second fiddle as a side dish to meat. It’s rare that you eat anything in which chickpeas in their whole, unadulterated form take center stage. Can’t we give these little guys their time to shine?

Why yes, we can, in the form of Roasted Chickpea Pitas!

This tasty vegetarian Mediterranean meal features whole chickpeas roasted in a piquant blend of seasonings and paired with caramelized red onions. Finished off with some spinach, tomato, and creamy tzatziki sauce in a whole wheat pita, it’s a super healthy choice for dinner or a one-dish lunch. Every time I eat it, even without adding a side, it keeps me full for hours–probably because of all the “good carbs” found in the whole wheat and beans. Plus, chickpeas contain plenty of protein and even a little unsaturated fat. Can you really go wrong by adding more of them to your diet?

So if I were a chickpea, I’d like to think I’d approve of this recipe (even though I’d have to be roasted in a 400 degree oven). Worth it.

Print Recipe

Roasted Chickpea Pitas

Spiced roasted chickpeas and cool tzatziki sauce make a hearty filling in these pitas.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Dish, vegetarian

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the roasted chickpeas:

• 2 15-oz. cans garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the tzatziki sauce:

• 3/4 c. Greek yogurt
• 1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. dried dill
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

To assemble:

• 4 whole wheat pitas, split
• 4 c. fresh spinach
• 1 large tomato, diced
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

Make the chickpea filling:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, stir together chickpeas and sliced red onions. Pour olive oil and all spices over the mixture, stir to toss, and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through baking.

Make the tzatziki sauce:

• Meanwhile, make the tzatziki sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.

Assemble the pitas:

• Assemble the pitas by filling them with the chickpea mixture, tzatziki sauce, spinach, tomato, and/or feta.

Notes

Inspired by Live Eat Learn.