Roast Your Chickpeas In Salad Dressing For A Pop Of Flavor

Raise your hand if you've been here: You're in the mood for a healthy snack, but you don't have many fresh ingredients on hand. You can't find anything that fits the bill, so you settle for potato chips. Again.

Next time you find yourself in that situation, there's a better solution, and it only involves two ingredients that you may already have in stock: A can of chickpeas and a bottle of salad dressing. Best of all, it couldn't be simpler to make. Just toss the chickpeas in the dressing and roast them for a crispy, crunchy snack that happens to be nutrient-dense, too. Chickpeas are rich in iron, folate, protein, fiber, and amino acids, and they may even be useful in helping manage weight and blood sugar, so you can feel good about going back for another helping.

Roasted chickpeas are already a no-brainer to make, and using salad dressing lets you skip the step of seasoning them while still packing in a lot of flavor. Just a few minutes of prep and about half an hour in the oven is all you need for a delicious, crunchy snack that's full of necessary nutrients.

When roasting chickpeas (or basically anything) in the oven, the standard practice is to toss them in olive oil and then season with salt, pepper, and whatever other spices or herbs you might want to include. Using salad dressing combines those two steps — it acts as a sort of pre-seasoned cooking oil. Most classic oil-based dressings (as opposed to cream-based, like ranch or bleu cheese) include olive, canola, other vegetable oils, or a blend thereof. Using it to coat the chickpeas provides the fat necessary for them to cook and attain that browned, toasty flavor. 

Salad dressings are typically also packed with flavorful ingredients like vinegar, herbs, spices, garlic, onions, and sometimes even cheese — so rather than trying to perfect your own seasoning blend, pre-made dressing already has that covered. Virtually any kind of oil-based dressing will work here, so feel free to experiment with whatever you may have in the fridge. Italian dressing or balsamic vinaigrette will infuse your dish with classic Mediterranean-inspired flavor, while a dressing that includes a jolt of lemon or other citrus will complement the nutty, wholesome taste of the chickpeas.

When you're looking for something crunchy to snack on, roasted chickpeas are a great better-for-you alternative compared to regular old potato chips, pork rinds, or other deep-fried noshes. And when you're in need of something more substantial than just a bowl of chickpeas (however delicious they may be), roasted chickpeas can act as a component of sides and entrées, too. 

Roasted chickpeas can make a great salad topping, providing some of the carby texture that bread crumbs or croutons would typically provide. So you might swap chickpeas in as a gluten-free, nutritious alternative to stale bread-based toppings. Whether you dress that salad with the same dressing you used on the chickpeas to underscore the taste or use a different dressing to layer in other flavors is up to you. You could also go wild and try tossing them into any dish that could use some crunch, from noodles to hummus. 

Salad dressing can perform a similar function as pre-seasoned cooking oil for plenty of other foods, too. Similar to chickpeas, you can use it to roast and flavor starchy foods, like potatoes and other root veggies. In a pinch, it can also serve as a marinade for meats, or even work in place of pasta sauce. Regardless of whatever kitchen experiments you want to conduct, this two-ingredient chickpea snack or side is a must-try.