Vegan Sweet & Sour Chickpeas
Okay, now these are good. I mean, REALLY GOOD. Let me tell you why…
They are much tastier than take-out, speedier than delivery, and absolutely the easiest main dish ever.
PLUS PLUS PLUS
This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based, low-fat, and full of chickity chickpea goodness. I’m not sure how many of you have an issue with beans or legumes but I for one was never a big fan. Unless of course, a chickpea was totally disguised as hummus.
I’m not quite sure what has transpired over the past few years, but something definitely changed in my dislike of chickpeas and other legumes. I think perhaps it’s because of recipes like these.
You can serve these chickpeas with just about anything. Keeping it simple, I decided to make a side dish of basmati rice and a quick stirfry of kale salad. Feel free to spice this dish up with as much or as little heat as you can handle. Some like it hot, some like it mild. Either way, a little kiss of heat just elevates its deliciousness.
You won’t believe the Chinese-y flavour you’re going to accomplish with just a handful of pantry staples. Lately, chickpeas have now become a huge part of my diet. I think they’re so versatile and pack a punch in both sweet and savoury recipes. Now I always have a few cans on hand.
If you are one of those people who want to add chickpeas to their diet, even if you are not jumping on the vegan bandwagon, this recipe is 100% going to be up your alley.
What’s not to love here?
- Packed full of flavour.
- Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
- Comforting.
- Made with simple pantry ingredients.
- Easy and beginner cook friendly.
- A great homestyle alternative to takeout.
- Healthy.
- Ready in a few minutes.
Let’s eat.
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tbsp rice vinegar)
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce or tamari for a gluten free
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice, orange juice or water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper (extra if you want it spicy)
- 2 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1½ tsp tapioca starch or cornstarch + 3 tsp room-temp water
- sesame seeds for garnish
- Sides
- Kale Salad Stirfy (see recipe below)
- Basmati Rice
- In a medium size saucepan, add maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple juice and tomato paste. Heat sauce until bubbly. Add chickpeas and stir to coat, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
- Mix tapioca starch and water in a small bowl. Add to the chickpea mixture. Continue stirring until sauce becomes thicker and sticky.
- Serve with any side dish you desire. I served mine with Basmati Rice and Stir fried Kale Salad.
- 1 small bag of Kale salad mix (I used this one and discarded the dressing and seeds)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce
- Heat oil in a large skillet and add the kale salad mix. Stir fry until vegetables begin to soften. Add in soy, oyster and hoisin sauces. Continue cooking for 2 minutes until the kale mix is coated. Serve as a side dish.
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