Quick and Easy Smoky Chickpeas

Smoky Chickpeas

This is one of my favorite Crockpot recipes because it is quick, easy, cheap, and tasty!

All you need are:

• 2-3 chopped onions (3 if they are small)
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2-3 cans chickpeas (depending on how big a batch you want to make--I usually use 3)
• 4 tspns chopped cilantro
• 1-2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tspn salt
• 1 tspn thyme
• 1tspn smoked paprika

Also, if you don't use 2 cans of tomatoes and are worried about how much liquid is in the pot, or if you want more of a "soupy" dish, you could add some vegetable broth as well. I sometimes add about 1/2 a cup of broth for more liquid, and then serve the chickpeas over some brown rice once it is cooked.

Pre-cooking some of the ingredients

I like to pre-cook some of the ingredients just a little bit before putting them in the Crockpot, to jump-start some of the flavor combinations.

In a pan on the stovetop, saute the chopped onions, carrots, garlic, and cilantro, in a little olive oil (or in a bit of water), cooking until softened, just for a few minutes.

Add thyme, salt, and tomatoes, and cook for a bit longer, then throw everything into the Crockpot along with the chickpeas, and cook on high for 4 hours.

The chickpeas get sort of soft and creamy, and the smoked paprika flavor goes really well with the carrots and tomatoes. This is one of those dishes that is great for lunches at work during the week when you want something warm and rich in flavor.