As you have probably guessed, I love chickpeas. It’s such a versatile vegan protein! I stumbled across a recipe for spicy chickpeas in the slow cooker and I knew I couldn’t resist to at least try it. I really liked the taste and texture, but it just wasn’t spicy enough for me. I needed George Costanza sweating-while-eating spicy and it just wasn’t doing that. (Ok, maybe not that spicy, but you know, Cathy likes her chickpeas spicy!) My toddler was loving them though, so that was a plus. I decided to tweak the recipe the next time to make it spicier and more flavorful. If a two year old is enjoying them, though that’s great, how spicy could they possibly be? I added a bit more oomph to the sauce the next time and they came out perfectly. Too spicy for the little ones, but just the way I like them! You can choose to add either the Thai garlic chili paste or the sriracha if you are nervous it will be too hot. These don’t take long, even in the slow cooker and are a delicious way to satisfy your craving for takeout at home.
Recipe adapted from https://detoxinista.com/kung-pao-chickpeas-slow-cooker/
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 a red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 teaspoon Thai chili garlic paste
3 green onion stalks, chopped
Sesame seeds for garnish
Jasmine or your choice of rice for serving
Directions:
Pour the chickpeas, chopped onion, and chopped bell pepper into the bowl of your slowcooker.
Whisk the balsamic, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, Thai chili paste, and sriracha together in a small bowl.
Pour sauce over the chickpeas, onion, and bell pepper and stir well.
Add a tablespoon of water. Set your slow cooker to high and cook for 3 hours.
Once it’s finished, make sure you stir really well before serving. Serve over jasmine rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions.
The Veg Table 