This is an easy, filling dinner, with the only proviso being that you must use good chickpeas – any jarred ones will work perfectly, otherwise use tinned from Epicure or KTC. (Of course, feel free to soak dried chickpeas overnight and cook, if that’s your jam.) Warmed through with softened tomatoes, a herb-packed dressing and toasted pine nuts, it’s a feast in a bowl. Serve with good flatbread, if you wish.
Herb-spiked chickpeas with cherry tomatoes and pine nuts
If you’re cooking for one or two, make the full quantity of chickpeas and dressing, and refrigerate the rest to warm through and eat over the following days.
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 3-4
60g pine nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
300g vine cherry tomatoes, halved
700g jar chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 tbsp greek yoghurt, to serve
For the dressing
10g fresh basil leaves, plus extra small leaves to serve
10g fresh flat-leaf parsley
40ml olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Toast the pine nuts in a large frying pan on a medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, for four to five minutes, until the pine nuts are evenly toasted. Under no circumstances should you leave the pan to do something else: they will burn in an instant. Tip the toasted pine nuts on to a plate, then return the pan to the heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the tomatoes, soften on a low heat for five minutes, then add the chickpeas and remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and warm through for a further five or six minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chickpeas to sit for 10 minutes.
Blitz the basil leaves, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt in a high-speed blender. Gently warm the chickpeas through, then spread two tablespoons of yoghurt into each bowl. Top with the chickpeas, drizzle over the dressing, scatter over the pine nuts and remaining basil leaves, and serve immediately.
