Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

The first time I had roasted chickpeas was at Prune in NYC.  I know it sounds like a vaguely strange (and not altogether appetizing) dish, but we finished off the entire dish in seconds and asked for more.  They were unbelievable.  The chickpeas were crispy, salty and totally addictive - the perfect bar snack.  They sort of reminded me of corn nuts, another bar snack that I also love.  I have heard that bar snacks are intentionally salty so that it makes you drink your beer/drink faster and then order more to drink.  How very sneaky.  But unlike most bar snacks, these chickpeas are full of protein and relatively healthy for you.  And they are totally easy to make at home.  All you need is a can of chickpeas, a splash of evoo, s&p and the spice blend of your choice.  As a good Maryland-girl the first spice mix that comes to mind is Old Bay, but if Old Bay just isn't your thing you can use a creole seasoning blend, or a Moroccan spice blend.  For this batch I threw together my own Moroccan spice blend using ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and ginger and then sprinkled it all over the chickpeas fresh out of the oven.  Totally delicious.

Recipe after the jump!

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

INGREDIENTS:

19 oz. can chickpeas

2 tsp evoo

s&p

1 tsp spice/seasoning blend

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Drain chickpeas and rinse well.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Place dry chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss with evoo.  Roast in the oven until crispy and golden brown, about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven, season with s&p, and the spice blend of your choice.  Toss chickpeas to coat evenly with seasonings.

Serve warm or at room temperature.