Crispy Chickpea Fajitas

From the kitchen of Carly

Fajita-style wraps with roasted chickpeas in place of meat. Crispy paprika-spiced chickpeas, quick-pickled tomato salsa, smashed avocado, and a harissa-spiked sour cream. Vegetarian without missing anything. Pat the chickpeas truly dry before they hit the oven. Wet chickpeas steam instead of crisp; you want the audible crunch.

Crispy Chickpea Fajitas
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
easy

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 400 g (1 large can)chickpeas, drained and patted dry
  • 1 tbspolive oil
  • 1 tspsmoked paprika
  • 2ripe tomatoes, diced small
  • 1red onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tspred wine vinegar
  • 1ripe avocado
  • 2lime, juice plus extra wedges
  • 100 gsour cream
  • 2 tspharissa paste
  • 8corn tortillas, warmed
  • 1 small handfulfresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil.

  2. Tip the drained chickpeas onto the lined sheet. Pat them as dry as possible with paper towels; dry chickpeas crisp up better.

  3. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until each chickpea is coated.

  4. Roast 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until browned and crisp on the outside.

  5. While the chickpeas roast, make the salsa: combine the diced tomatoes and sliced red onion in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside; the vinegar lightly pickles the onion as it sits.

  6. Mash the avocado in a separate bowl with the juice of 1 lime, leaving some texture. Season with salt.

  7. Stir together the sour cream and harissa paste in a third small bowl. Set aside.

  8. Heat a dry skillet or griddle over high heat. Char the tortillas one at a time, 5 seconds per side, until softened and lightly marked.

  9. Bring everything to the table. Each person builds their own fajita: tortilla, smear of harissa cream, smashed avocado, roasted chickpeas, pickled tomato salsa, cilantro, squeeze of lime.

Substitutions
  • chickpeas to black beans, lentils, or sliced halloumi. Black beans need 15 minutes roasting; halloumi sears 2 minutes per side in a pan.
  • harissa paste to 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1/2 tsp cayenne + 1/4 tsp cumin. Quick DIY when no harissa in the pantry. Mix into the sour cream.
  • corn tortillas to flour tortillas or lettuce cups. Flour tortillas hold more filling. Lettuce cups make this naturally low-carb.

Pairs well with: Mexican-style rice and black beans, Pickled jalapenos and a heap of fresh cilantro, Cold Mexican lager or a margarita

Adapted from TheMealDB.