Chickpea “Refried” Beans

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut & seed-free ~

I have another version of “refried beans” on my site, but I love testing alternative ingredients. So today, I tried my hand at chickpeas.

I remember sprouting chickpeas years ago but couldn’t recall what I ever did with them or if I even liked them. Therefore, I decided it was high time once again to venture down the sprouting lane. After a few days, I had gorgeous chickpeas with dainty little tails. I felt like a mother hen who just hatches her eggs. :)

I also had a can of cooked organic, BPA-free, chickpeas in the pantry so being the experimenter that I am, I made two batches side by side. One with the raw sprouted peas and then used the canned peas in the other batch.

I have, to be honest…

I am going, to be honest. I did not like the sprouted chickpeas at all. They have a completely different taste to them then cooked chickpeas. A bit more earthy, green, and chalky (?) hard to put my finger on it. Probably why I didn’t proceed with sprouted chickpeas long ago.

But I did, however, LOVE the version with the cooked chickpeas. We all have different taste buds so if you enjoy raw sprouted ones, then, by all means, use them… but if you don’t and using either canned or freshly cooked ones are ok with you… go for it. The dish is amazing and reminded me of real refried beans. They even look like it, don’t they?

There is one thing that chickpeas really love, and that is oil. If you try to skimp on the oil, you will find the dish very disappointing. I used avocado oil, but olive oil can be used in its place. I try to rotate the healthier fats that I take in and today was avocado’s day. If you are looking for a good read on the health benefits, please click (here). It’s pretty amazing stuff.

These “Refried Beans” can be enjoyed alone, as a side dish or rolled into a burrito. I have eaten them cold, room temp and warmed in the dehydrator. I hope that you enjoy this recipe. Blessings, amie sue

Ingredients:

yields 2 1/2 cups

3 cups chickpeas, sprouted or cooked
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated
6 Tbsp soaked water from tomatoes
6 Tbsp avocado oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)

Preparation:

Sun-dried tomatoes – soak in enough water to cover them for 30+ minutes. Drain and keep the soak water to add in later.
- After soaking the sun-dried tomatoes, drain them and place in the food processor, fitted with the “S” blade.
- If you use dried tomatoes that have been soaked in oil, skip the re-hydrating process.
Add chickpeas, water, oil, lemon juice, and spices. Process until it is almost smooth but with a little texture, much like refried beans.
Stir in cilantro and serve.
Store in airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.