Chickpea Loaf Recipes

CHICKPEA-VEGGIE LOAF

Steps:

• Saute the vegetables in a little water, till the onions are well softened.
• Put the chickpeas in a colander, and rinse for 1 minute under hot water. This will make them much easier to mash. Put them in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Heat oven to 300°F.
• Combine all other ingredients with the chickpeas, and mix well.
• Transfer mixture to a nonstick or lightly oiled loaf pan and pat in in evenly. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
• Cool the loaf, in the pan, for a few minutes before serving.
• Leftovers are great warmed up on a toasted sandwich with gravy!

RED LENTIL CHICKPEA LOAF WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly spray a standard sized loaf pan with oil. Place the walnuts on a lined baking sheet and toast for 5 minutes. Remove the walnuts from the oven and chop them finely.
• Place the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl. Use a potato masher or a big fork to mash them up. They should all be broken down, but it's fine to see some flattened whole chickpeas and halves: texture is good!
• Heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil in a deep skillet or medium sized pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender and the onion is clear. Add the red lentils, water or broth, thyme, and rosemary. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the lentils are completely tender. Give the mixture a good stir to break them down and make them mushy.
• Add the lentil mixture to the chickpeas, along with the finely chopped walnuts and breadcrumbs. Mix everything well, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pack the mixture into your prepared loaf pan, then smooth over the top with a spatula. Brush the 1/4 cup ketchup over the top.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the top is browning.
• While the loaf bakes, prepare the gravy. Heat the remaining teaspoon oil in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and shrunken down and have released all of their juices. Add the broth and tamari to the pot and stir.
• Place the flour and nutritional yeast in a small, heatproof bowl. Use a ladle to remove 3/4 cup broth from the pot (avoid getting any mushrooms in there) and add the hot liquid to the bowl with the flour and nutritional yeast. Whisk it all together to create a smooth slurry, then return all of it to the pot. Continue to heat and stir the gravy until it's thickened up, about 2 minutes. Serve over your loaf and enjoy!

CHICKPEA LOAF

Steps:

• Cook the chickpeas. Add the soaked chickpeas into a medium pot, cover with water by several inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, season with salt, and simmer, uncovered, until the chickpeas are fully tender, 45-90 minutes (depending on the size/freshness of your chickpeas). Top with water as necessary to keep the chickpeas submerged at all times. Sample a chickpeas at the 40-minute mark to see how tender the chickpeas are. You're looking for a tender chickpea with a tiny bit of bite. Once cooked, drain the chickpeas.
• Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and soy sauce, and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, 3-5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
• Process all the chickpea loaf ingredients. Add the walnuts into the food processor fitted with an S blade and process until coarsely ground. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to combine, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. Be careful not to purée.
• Season. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, thyme for an earthy flavor with lemony-minty undertones, rosemary for a woodsy flavor with aromas of lemon and pine, and sage for a minty flavor with lemony undertones.
• Bake. Transfer the chickpea mixture into a parchment-lined loaf pan, spread, and press into an even layer. Brush the top with a little bit of oil to help the loaf retain moisture. Bake the chickpea loaf, uncovered, until golden brown on the edges and slightly dry to the touch, 40-45 minutes.
• Cool. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, 10-15 minutes. Then gently remove from the pan.
• Serve. Carefully cut the loaf into 12 even slices. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
• Store. Leftover chickpea loaf keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer term storage, freeze sliced chickpea loaf in an air-tight container, separating each slice with a piece of parchment paper, for up to 3 months.
• Reheat. Slice the loaf first (if it's not sliced already). Then lay the individual slices on a bare baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F/175°C oven until warmed through (the time will vary depending on whether reheating from refrigerated or frozen).