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adding the chickpea crumble to the pepper beans
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5 from 1 vote

Pepper Beans in Creamy Garlic Sauce with Crispy Chickpea Crumble

Creamy, garlicky pepper white beans with spinach, finished with an irresistible crispy chickpea crumble, is the high-protein pantry meal I make on repeat, because it doesn't even taste like a pantry meal. (20g protein, 13g fiber, 8mg iron. Soy-free with gluten-free and nut-free options)
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: pepper beans
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Equipment

  • air fryer optional

Ingredients

For the Crispy Chickpea Topping

  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas or canned chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1 slice of bread
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro, or other herbs of choice
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a mix of thyme and oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons onion flakes (see notes for sub)
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest optional
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional

For the Pepper Beans

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow or white onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or more, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped baby kale or a mix of kale and spinach
  • 15 ounce can white beans such as cannellini beans, navy beans, or butter beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans of choice
  • 3 - 4 tablespoon vegan mozzarella , optional
  • 1 teaspoon miso optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Drain the cans of chickpeas and white beans and let them sit to drain for a few minutes. Divide the chickpeas into 1 cup for the topping and 1/2 cup for the sauce.

Make the crispy chickpea topping.

  • Add the 1 cup of the chickpeas, plus the breadcrumbs, parsley, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and thyme to a food processor. Process until the mixture is coarsely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, place everything on a cutting board and chop with a knife until you have a coarse mixture.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the garlic is just starting to turn golden. Add the chickpea-breadcrumb mixture and the Aleppo pepper flakes. Mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion flakes, and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is becoming crispy.
  • Air Fryer Option: Mix the pan toasted garlic with the chickpea mixture and the remaining topping ingredients, then transfer everything to an air fryer. Air fry at 370° F (188° C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy.

Make the pepper beans.

  • Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the garlic starts to pick up a little bit of color. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well, so the onion cools the garlic slightly and stops it from browning too quickly. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the onion is evenly golden. If the pan starts to dry out after about 3 to 4 minutes, add a splash of water. Continue cooking until the onion is nicely golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the cream mixture. Add the cashews, hemp seeds, 1/2 cup chickpeas, Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, nutritional yeast, and 1 cup water to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. I usually blend for about 1 minute, let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes so the cashews soften further, then blend again for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until completely smooth. Set this aside.
  • Once the onion is golden, add the black pepper and oregano to the pan, and mix well. Add the kale or spinach, and cook until it begins to wilt. Pour in the cream mixture, and mix well. Add the white beans, and stir to combine. Rinse the blender with 1/4 cup water and add that to the pan. Depending on how saucy you want the beans, you can add more water, since the cashew cream thickens significantly as it cooks. Partially cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened evenly.
  • Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, more black pepper, or more herbs such as oregano, fresh basil, thyme, and mix in. Switch off the heat and top the beans evenly with the crispy chickpea breadcrumb mixture. Serve immediately with a side of toasted bread, garlic bread, pita or a side salad, or pasta, or over quinoa or baked potato/veg.

Video

Notes

Storage: If you're making this ahead, keep the crispy topping separate. Otherwise, it will absorb moisture from the creamy beans and lose its crunch. Add the topping just before serving. Store the beans and topping refrigerated for upto 3 days, Aur fry the topping for 2-3 mins to crisp up and serve  
Allergy friendly: Pepper beans are naturally soy-free. To make this nut-free, replace the cashews with 1/2 cup silken tofu or firm tofu, or use additional hemp seeds and chickpeas. To make this gluten-free, omit the breadcrumbs and use more chickpeas, or use rolled oats processed with the chickpeas.
To make this without nutritional yeast, omit it and add the miso to the sauce instead.
This recipe is rich in protein, fiber, iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins, and it comes together pretty quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1837IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 8mg