Description
This Vegan Sticky Sesame Chickpeas recipe offers a delightful blend of flavors and textures, combining tender chickpeas with a rich, sticky sesame sauce. Perfect as a main dish or a side, it’s easy to prepare and packed with plant-based protein and vibrant seasonings, making it an excellent choice for a quick and nutritious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chickpeas
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sauce
- 3–4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth or water, divided
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for spice)
Instructions
- Prepare Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and set them aside to ensure they are clean and ready for cooking.
- Sauté Garlic: Mince the garlic cloves and add them to a sauté pan along with avocado or olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the garlic becomes very fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix Tapioca Slurry: In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch with half of the vegetable broth (approximately 2 tablespoons) and stir until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Set this aside.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: Add the tamari or soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and the remaining vegetable broth (about 2 tablespoons) to the sauté pan with garlic. Whisk everything together to create a flavorful sauce base.
- Add Tapioca Mixture: Stir the tapioca starch slurry into the sauce mixture in the pan to begin thickening the sauce.
- Simmer and Add Chickpeas: Once bubbles start to form in the sauce, add the drained chickpeas to the pan. Stir well to coat them evenly with the sauce.
- Cook Until Thickened: Lower the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick and sticky, thoroughly coating the chickpeas.
- Rest and Absorb Flavors: Remove the pan from heat and allow the chickpeas to sit for a few minutes. This resting period helps them absorb the full depth of the sticky sesame flavor.
- Serve: Serve warm, paired nicely with steamed broccoli, quinoa, or rice for a complete and satisfying vegan meal.
Notes
- The tapioca starch can be substituted with other thickening agents like corn starch or arrowroot powder.
- Tamari is the gluten-free alternative to soy sauce; regular soy sauce can be used but ensure it is low sodium to avoid excessive saltiness.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken after 10-15 minutes, add an additional two teaspoons of arrowroot powder to enhance thickening.
- Maple syrup can be swapped for honey (if not strictly vegan) or brown/coconut sugar. Adjust to taste for lower sugar preferences.
Keywords: vegan chickpeas recipe, sticky sesame chickpeas, vegan main dish, plant-based protein, easy vegan dinner, gluten free soy sauce recipe