Description
This Vegan Sticky Sesame Chickpeas recipe offers a deliciously savory and slightly sweet dish featuring tender chickpeas coated in a sticky sesame sauce. Enhanced with toasted sesame oil, garlic, and a hint of ginger, it comes together quickly on the stovetop making it a perfect weeknight meal. Serve it alongside steamed broccoli, quinoa, or rice for a wholesome, flavorful vegan meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chickpeas
- 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas
Sauce
- 3–4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ⅓ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth or water, divided
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly and set them aside to be used later in the recipe.
- Cook Garlic: Mince the garlic and heat the avocado or olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes until it becomes very fragrant, ensuring it does not burn.
- Make Tapioca Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the tapioca starch with half of the vegetable broth or water. Stir well until no clumps remain, setting this mixture aside for thickening the sauce later.
- Create Sauce Base: Into the sauté pan with the garlic, add the low sodium tamari or soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Whisk everything together until fully combined.
- Thicken Sauce: Pour the tapioca starch mixture into the pan and stir continuously. Wait until bubbles start to form as the sauce thickens.
- Add Chickpeas: Add the drained chickpeas to the pan and stir well to coat them evenly with the sauce.
- Simmer: Reduce heat to low and cook the chickpeas in the sauce for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce becomes thick and sticky.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the pan from heat and let the chickpeas sit for a few minutes to allow flavors to fully absorb. Serve warm with steamed broccoli, quinoa, or rice.
Notes
- The tapioca starch can be substituted with other thickening agents like corn starch or arrowroot starch if preferred.
- Use tamari for a gluten-free option. Regular soy sauce works as well, but make sure to choose low sodium to avoid excessive saltiness.
- If the sauce doesn’t thicken after 10-15 minutes, adding an extra two teaspoons of arrowroot powder can help achieve the desired consistency.
- Maple syrup can be replaced with honey, brown sugar, or coconut sugar depending on your preference. Lower quantities can be used to reduce sugar content.
Keywords: vegan chickpeas, sticky sesame chickpeas, vegan main dish, easy vegan recipe, gluten free chickpeas, plant-based dinner