Cauliflower and Chickpea Skillet

Cauliflower Chickpea Skillet {Gluten-Free, Vegetarian} | Wheat-Free Meat-Free

This is a one pan meal I thought up for this month’s Fruit/Veggie a Month and My Legume Love Affair. Fruit/Veggie a Month is being hosted by Shri of Tiffin Carrier Antic/que’s and has the theme of Cauliflower. My Legume Love Affair is being hosted by Cathy of What Would Cathy Eat?.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Skillet

  • 2 pieces of gluten-free sandwich bread
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup chopped roasted bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • olive oil
  • sea salt
  • crushed red pepper

  1. Tear the bread into chunks and place in a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process into crumbs.
  2. Heat a large skillet (one with a lid) over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crumbs are brown and crunchy, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Return the skillet to the stovetop and heat over medium-low heat. Film the pan with oil. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Add in the cauliflower, a couple pinches of salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir well. Add in the water or broth. Cover and cook until cauliflower is tender, around 15-20 minutes.
  4. Once cauliflower is tender, stir in the chickpeas, roasted pepper, and thyme. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook until everything is heated through and most of the liquid in the pan has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of cauliflower mix and serve.

Serves 4-6

The bread crumbs can also be made in an oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the bread crumbs out on a cookie sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until crumbs are browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Alternatively, for extra crunch, the crumbs could be pan-fried. After heating the skillet, film the pan with oil before adding the crumbs. Fry, stirring occasionally, until crumbs are browned, about 5 minutes. Then remove and set aside.

I used water for the recipe, but as listed, I think broth would add extra flavor. A mushroom broth might be particularly nice. Or even a white wine, like a buttery chardonnay. (But watch out to not get one that’s oaky.)

I was lazy and used jarred roasted peppers. They are pretty easy to make though. My roasted portobellos recipe has instructions for how to make them.

I bought a block of good parmesan cheese to grate as a garnish and forgot about it until I was putting away the leftovers and saw it sitting in the refrigerator. (Darn.) A sprinkle of cheese on top would be nice though.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

Take a look at my book, The Wheat-Free Meat-Free Cookbook: 100 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes.

A sampling of the recipes included:
  • Breakfasts: Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins, Yeasted Waffles, Gooey Butter Cake,
  • Sides: Patatas Bravas, Pea and New Potato Salad, Braised Celery,
  • Mains: Corn Waffle Sandwiches, Enchiladas with Green Sauce, Pesto Asparagus Galette, and
  • Desserts: Blueberry Mango Crisp, Baklava Rolls, Amaretto Cake.

You can see the full recipe list on the Amazon page.


Comments

  1. Heather McWhorter says

    YUM!!! I cannot wait to try this! I’m on a total cauliflower kick right now…

  2. Wow, Kalinda, this looks terrific! :-)

    Shirley

  3. Thanks for sending this to Veggie /Fruit A Month-Cauliflower.
    Looks delicious and easy to put together. This would work very well with Indian spices.

  4. Oh sounds yummy and looks so good. Adding this one to my must-make-this list http://wp.me/P1OnhQ-2h
    Thanks for sharing

    Laureen

  5. Apparently this is a keeper. Thanks ladies!

  6. This looks like a great dish! You could also roast your chickpeas and cauliflower together with the herbs for a different spin on the dish. :)

  7. I never remember to roast chickpeas, but I’ve loved them every time I’ve had them. I’ll have to keep that in mind once the weather cools off.

  8. Kalends, are you on Twitter? I just sent this…
    OriginalMessage:
    http://twitter.com/Foxkitchen/status/115840654394920960
    I don’t think you need an account to read the message
    Cheers,
    Laureen

  9. Thanks Laureen, I am but not currently active. When I decide I want to actually start using it, I’ll be sure to look you up.

  10. Yum – I love cauliflower and chickpeas, so I can’t wait to try this combination. Love the idea of the toasty breadcrumbs on top. I think you’re right – a good sprinkling of parmesan over the top would be the icing on the cake.
    Sue :-)

  11. ilovecats says

    Hello, firstly I’d like to say I love the site, found a few recipes that I definitely plan on making. But secondly I noticed that some of your recipes use parmesan cheese and parmesan by definition has to be made with animal rennet. I was just hoping that you do know this? As I spent the first few years of my veggie life eating parmesan thinking it was okay :(

    • First, thank you.

      Second, yes we are aware. Rennet is not something that Mike worries about, so we do use parmesan. Obviously, you can leave it off, or use a different aged cheese that uses vegetable rennet instead.

Speak Your Mind

*

Disclaimer 1: Many of the links on this site are affiliate links. That means that if you click through from my link and buy the linked-to product, or sign up for the linked-to service, I receive a commission.


Disclaimer 2: I am not a medical professional, and the information contained on this site is not medical advice. It is your responsibility to check the foods you eat to make sure that they are safe for you. If you're considering any dietary changes, it's probably a good idea to speak with your physician. By using this site, you explicitly agree not to hold Pickled Publishing LLC or any of its members liable in any way for damages arising from decisions you make based on the information made available on this site.

Copyright 2023 Pickled Publishing LLC - All rights reserved. To be clear: This means that, aside from small quotations, the material on this site may not be republished elsewhere without my express permission. Privacy Policy