Oven Roasted Chickpeas

This was such a quick, easy snack. We found them highly addicting. I think next time I will have to make a double-batch because they barely lasted long enough to take a photo! There’s a little crunch on the outside and they were still a little soft in the center.

I think you could flavor these any way you want. I drained the beans, rinsed them well and spinned them dry in the salad spinner. I used just a teaspoon of olive oil for a 15 oz can of beans. And then I used a salt free seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s along with some nutritional yeast for flavoring. But I think they would be really good with a little salt and pepper too!

I was first introduced to nutritional yeast on a visit to my cousin’s house where they brought it out for a popcorn topping – so good (think mild cheesiness, with a little nuttiness thrown in)! And I haven’t really used it much since then, but it’s a common ingredient in a lot of the cookbooks I have been reading lately and it seems like a great ingredient to keep around the house.

I didn’t know much about what nutritional yeast actually is, so I looked it up and thought I would share what I found. This is from Bob’s Red Mill site “Nutritional yeast, which is not to be confused with active dry yeast or Brewer’s Yeast, is a deactivated form of the microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast is pasteurized and placed in a dryer to deactivate the yeast and bring out its nutritional properties. The yeast, which is gluten free, has a flavor reminiscent of cheese and is rich in amino acids, B-complex vitamins, niacin, folic acid, zinc, selenium and thiamine. Bob’s Red Mill’s nutritional yeast has been fortified with vitamin B-12, as well.  Nutritional yeast is popular with vegetarians and vegans whose diets can be deplete of B-complex vitamins, especially B-12.” Do you use nutritional yeast at your house? If you do – do you have favorite uses for it?

Oven Roasted Chickpeas

• one 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried off
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1. Mix the chickpeas with the olive oil and seasonings.
2. Spread in a single layer on silpat or parchment paper.
3. Bake @ 425° for 35-45 minutes.