Chickpea Balls with Lazy Italian Garlic Roasted Tomatoes – Super Easy

These Chickpea Balls have an excellent texture, I mean, they are the kind you can deep in some succulent sauce and they will hold on.

They are also super easy to season. You can just play with some dried herbs and make it garlic flavour, super spicy, italian, indian and so on. And you have a nice filling vegan snack just by mixing and baking.

Here I am bringing to you an in-between idea. We are not doing an elaborated sauce or eating them by themselves.

We have the base seasoning I use that we’ll toss inside a tray bake of a Italian weekday recipe for roasted tomatoes.

The Ingredients

FOR THE BALLS

• Chickpeas: raw, soaked for at least 8 hours. (my go-to guide to soaking from WholeLifestyleNutrition).
• Oats: fine or rolled, like I always use. Just beat until fine, no need to use a siever after.
• Rice Flour: you can use corn or potato starch, tapioca works too. To be honest you can even skip if you are not adding to a sauce, just eating as a snack. In that case add an extra tablespoon of oats.
• Herbs: I’ve used Oregano here, as I said that’s my base recipe, but Thyme and Sage are also great. All the 3 together even better.
• Spices: Again, for the basic version, Onion powder and smoked Paprika. But do add to the mix anything you like. Garlic powder and Cumin add a lot. I really like them almost red from Chili pepper too.
• Salt: totaste. Go carefully but don’t be shy, they are thick so you need them seasoned well inside too.

FOR THE TOMATOES

• Tomatoes: it works with any kind. When I’m making as a side dish I prefer cherry or plum tomatoes (in that case cut in half, not quarters). In here I went for a larger variety as I wanted extra juice to deep the balls.
• Garlic: adjust to your liking. I’m doing here the tomatoes garlic flavoured so I use 1 clove for each tomato.
• Olive Oil
• Herbs: my go-to is oregano, dried basil comes next. If you have a ready Italian mix, go for it.
• Salt and Pepper: to taste.

How to Make Chickpea Balls

Soak the chickpeas, drain and rinse.

Blend the chickpeas with a bit of water.

Transfer to a bowl, add all other ingredients and mix well with your hands.

Make the balls and bake for about 20 minutes. While the tomatoes are still in the oven too.

When the balls are cooked add them to the tomatoes tray, add the remaining oil, mix carefully and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

How to Make Super Easy Roasted Tomatoes

Cut the tomatoes and garlic cloves. Mix with your herbs, spices and half of the olive oil. Take to a small baking tray and to the oven.

Surely you will get to enjoy either with the Roasted Tomatoes or as a Snack.

If you choose the later, my Celery Sauce and Vegan Mayo (other flavors in the recipe) will pair perfectly.

And if you are amazed at what raw chickpeas can do please check the Pancake Omlette too, super versatile.

With gratitude,

Carol🌶

Chickpea Balls with Lazy Italian Garlic Roasted Tomatoes – Super Easy

Recipe by Carol MarsolaCourse: Dinner, Italian, Lunch, Sides and Basics, SnackCuisine: Vegan, ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

20

balls

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Soaking time

8

hours

These Chickpea Balls are super easy, great as a vegan gluten-free snack on their own or an amazing vegan dinner dipped in any sauce.

Ingredients

• For the Balls

• Chickpeas, 2 cups already soaked

• Rolled Oats, 4 tablespoons

• Rice Flour, 2 tablespoons

• Oregano, dried, 1 tablespoon

• Onion powder, 2 tablespoons

• Smoked Paprika, 2 tablespoons

• Salt, 2 tablespoons

• Water, 4-6 tablespoons, depending on how long the chickpeas were soaked

• For the Tomatoes (amount to accompany 10 chickpea balls)

• Tomatoes, 4 medium to large

• Garlic Cloves, 4

• Olive Oil, to taste, I’ve used spray, about 2 teaspoons

• Oregano, to taste, about 1 tablespoon

• Salt and Pepper, to taste
  

Directions

• Soak the chickpeas, drain and rinse. Reserve.
  
• Cut the tomatoes and garlic cloves in quarters. Mix with your herbs, spices and half of the olive oil. Take to a small baking tray so you’ll have more juice for the balls later on. Place them skin down as much as possible. Take the tomatoes to the oven. Preheated at 450F for 20 minutes.
  
• Blend the chickpeas with about 4 tbsp of water. You want enough liquid just to make blending possible so add slowly. You might need to stop the blender and mix a bit with a wooden spoon.
  
• Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl, add all other ingredients and mix well with your hands.
  
• Make the balls. Take to the oven, alongside the tomatoes and bake for about 20 minutes. You can lower the temperature to about 350F now.
  
• Confirm with a toothpick that the balls are cooked inside and add them to the tomatoes tray, mix carefully and put back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

• Please check The Ingredients section of the post for substitutions.
• I haven’t tried but I believe you can pan-fry the balls. I would add a bit of oil and use a lid. Turning occasionally.