Lilly Higgins: Roast chickpea salad

Chickpeas are very versatile little legumes. The are tasty blitzed to a creamy hummus, deep-fried as falafel or added to curries and salads.

The most unusual use for chickpeas I have come across is to use the liquid from the tin or carton of precooked chickpeas to make egg-free meringues. Vegans have been whipping up these frothy light meringues thanks to the magical properties of aquafaba.

The legume’s cooking water has a unique mixture of proteins, starches and other soluble plant solids that give it emulsifying, gelatinising and thickening qualities. So don’t throw away that chickpea brine; use it for dessert.

Roasting chickpeas makes them crunchy and quite addictive. They are a great crisp or popcorn alternative for movie nights and anything can be added to them, including sea salt, lemon juice and Parmesan. I have used a Middle Eastern seven-spice mix, Baharat, but garam masala, sumac or any spice blend you have will taste great.

The chickpeas are crunchy and spicy so I have added pomegranate seeds for a burst of freshness, and a few buttery slices of avocado for their creamy texture. Instead of avocado you could serve this with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, as it is nice to have something creamy to offset that spicy crunch. You could even double up on the chickpea goodness and serve this with some smooth hummus.

I like to serve this salad when the chickpeas are still quite warm, because they lose their crunch once cooled. So do serve it immediately or the leaves will wilt. This is the perfect dish to make with kale.

All winter, when salad leaves were scarce, I made this with curly kale. Just remove the tough stems and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Massage the lemon juice and oil into the leaves well and leave to sit for half an hour before adding the chickpeas and serving. It makes a really hearty salad that travels well in a lunchbox.

I have given my kids these chickpeas before and they have refused to even taste them, but once I put them on the table for my own dinner they soon disappeared. They are a lovely finger food for over-threes, who enjoy counting them out and eating them by the handful.

This is the perfect vegan meal in itself, but it is also great with lamb. Some slowly roasted shredded lamb would be great on the side – or you could just serve with a roast chicken.

These crunchy morsels are also fantastic on top of soup as a crouton alternative. Try a Moroccan tomato soup or scatter on top of a mixed root-vegetable soup for a burst of spiciness.

I often just make them as a pre-dinner snack. Come barbecue season, they are great with pale ales such as Eight Degrees Howling Gale.

ROAST CHICKPEA SALAD: SERVES 4

The ingredients

• ½-1tbs spice mix such as garam masala or baharat
• 1tbs olive oil
• 230g cooked chickpeas 1 avocado
• 15g coriander leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 handfuls of salad leaves or kale
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Juice of half a lemon
• ½ pomegranate, arils removed
• Sea salt

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the olive oil, spices and a pinch of sea salt into a bowl. Mix well to form a paste. Drain the chickpeas and rinse in a sieve with running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Add the chickpeas to the bowl and stir until evenly coated. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes until the chickpeas are crunchy and begin to pop. They have a tendency to jump from the tray when they pop, not unlike popcorn, so be careful. Set aside.

Place the salad leaves in a bowl and add the coriander leaves. Dress the leaves in the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide between four bowls or plates. Scatter with the chickpeas and the pomegranate arils.

Divide the avocado slices between the bowls and top with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of crunchy sea salt. Serve immediately before the leaves wilt.