Salt & Vinegar Chickpea Crisps

I made these yummy vegan snacks today and am so excited to try other flavors for my next batches. And there WILL be more batches.

My last few experiences with dried chickpeas wasn't a thrill. Between boiling them for homemade hummus, and milling the chickpeas into gluten/wheat-free flour, which broke my grinder- TWICE, I decided me and the 'old chickpea didn't have a harmonious relationship. So to make this dish I opted for the canned variety (organic of course) this time around and avoided  the bitter aftermath. 

Recipe:

2 cans chickpeas

3-4 cups white vinegar

Course sea salt

Olive oil

Drain chickpeas and put into a pot. Pour vinegar over top until just covered. 

Add a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and let sit 30 minutes.

Drain well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Spread chickpeas out onto the parchment.

Drizzle the chickpeas with olive oil, and sprinkle generously with salt. 

Roll the chickpeas around in the oil to get a good coating of oil.  

Don't skimp on the oil, though don't add so much there is a big pool of it. Lots of salt. Enough to make sure everything is covered well. At least, those are my own instructions. The salt falls off and since it's coarse don't be afraid to be a little liberal here. 

Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Turn over halfway through and check on them after a half hour or so to make sure none are too brown. 

Personally, I set my heat at a cool 420 degrees, turn the chickpeas over at 20 minutes, scoot them around again at the 1/2 hour mark, turn the oven off at 45 minutes, and let them sit for 5-10 more minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don't burn. I think that helps crisp up the last few that need a little more time without burning the batch.

Most come out nice and crispy. Some a little burnt, but only a couple. Some a little soft inside. All are really delicious, though. I've only ever done the salt & vinegar, and I'm trying to figure out how to make them crispy and barbeque flavored without bad ingredients.  

DO be careful when they first come out. They are HOT. 

I think they are yummiest when they are still warm, but a great crunchy snack cooled off, too. Plus they have a protein punch and aren't a GMO potato or corn product. Yay!