So you have to feed a gluten-free vegan? No problem!

It seems like every time you turn around, someone else is trying a gluten-free diet for various reasons or, more difficult, a vegan diet. Most of the time people associate these diets with strange ingredients like xanthan gum, tofu, seitan or other unusual substitution for wheat and meat products. My goal with this recipe for sautéed chickpeas is to open your mind to the idea that gluten-free and vegan foods are just normal foods found in your own pantry!

Gluten-Free Vegan Sautéed Chickpeas with Tomato and Garlic
Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 mL) long grain rice (I prefer Basmati rice)
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) safflower oil, or another flavorless oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) sea salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) olive oil
• 1 large onion, julienned
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) sea salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) red chili flakes (more or less depending on your palette)
• 2 – 16 ounce cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• ⅓ cup (80 g) sun-dried tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) ketchup
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) onion powder
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) vegetable stock base (or a crushed bouillon cube)
• 1 cup (240 mL) tomato puree
• 2 cups (480 mL) vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) parsley, chopped

Method

For most long grain rice you will use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water which you will bring to a boil and reduce to a low simmer for about 20 minutes. However, be sure to follow the directions on your package of rice if it specifies otherwise. After you have your rice simmering away, you can start on the chickpeas.

1. Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat, then add olive oil.
2. Add julienned onions to the pan and sauté; about 3 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and let sauté for about 1 minute; then season with salt, black pepper and red chili flakes.
4. Add sun-dried tomato puree and ketchup to the onions and garlic; stir well to allow sun-dried tomatoes to cook out slightly for about 2 minutes.
5. Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to the skillet and mix them into the onion mixture.
6. Mix in garlic and onion powder, then raise the heat to high.
7. Stir in vegetable base (or crushed bouillon cube); then add vegetable stock and mix well.
8. Allow mixture to come to a rapid simmer before reducing the heat to medium-low.
9. Let the chickpeas simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
10. Serve chickpeas over cooked rice and garnish with chopped parsley.

Culinary Notes

• If you double this recipe and save the leftovers, you can puree the chickpea mixture with extra vegetable stock and slowly reheat on medium heat for a hearty soup.
• For the sun-dried tomato puree, you can find pre-made at most grocery stores or you can make your own! For the required ⅓ cup, puree whole sun-dried tomatoes in your food processor until slightly chunky or just finely mince them – mashing them with the side of your knife until at pureed consistency.
• This recipe is an awesome “make ahead” as it tastes even better after two days.

You can cook for all your vegan and gluten-free pax now! But one dish will create menu fatigue pretty quickly, so here are a few variations on the same dish.

Variations

• For a Thai twist, substitute sun-dried tomatoes with red curry paste and add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger. Add an additional ½ cup coconut milk, then garnish with chopped cilantro in place of the parsley.
• Feeling Italian? Substitute chickpeas for cannellini beans (white beans) and use jarred marinara sauce in place of tomato puree. Add in 1 cup wilted, drained spinach and top with torn fresh basil leaves.

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