(Naturally) Gluten-free Vegan Treats: Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpeas are, without a doubt, my favorite legume. Hearty and satisfying, they're full of protein, iron and fiber, and they get along with almost every type of seasoning. I always feel good after eating them.

In celebrating simple gluten-free vegan treats, we've done sweet, salty, sweet, and now we'll have more salt. I've wanted to roast chickpeas for the longest time, but never gotten around to it. This week provided the perfect opportunity; I have a huge container of cooked chickpeas in the fridge.

There are almost as many roasted chickpea recipes as there are food blogs (I realize I am late to jump on this trend), but I worked off of SusanV's at FatFree Vegan Kitchen, because I liked her photos. I improvised the seasoning, standing before my spice cupboard and pulling out what sounded good. Here is what I used:

1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
less than 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
less than 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Toss everything until evenly coated. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15.

Nutty, salty, and crunchy, roasted chickpeas remind me of those soy nuts that used to be so popular. The touch of cinnamon is key, and I especially like the burnt ones. Roasted chickpeas satisfy my after work snack cravings, and they're so much better for me than Fritos!