Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas

The concept of cravings comes up often in my health coaching practice. Usually, my clients simply want healthier options with which to satisfy them, but I never did like the band-aid approach, and love leading them through a discussion of why they are having said cravings in the first place.

I spoke to this in a previous post, so for the sake of not sounding redundant, I’ll get straight to the food. Those that have a tendency towards salty/savory cravings most frequently list french fries and potato chips as their weaknesses. The number one flavor of potato chip people turn to? Salt & Vinegar. Now I’m someone who always craves sweet without fail, but even my mouth starts to water at the thought of them.

This got me wondering what could I create to “healthify” the salt & vinegar chip. Roasted chickpeas immediately came to mind, and these turned out even better than I was expecting.

I’ll admit, the lazy side of me wanted to open a can of beans, pour in white vinegar and coat with sea salt. Little did I know it takes a bit more care, which is why I was glad I stumbled upon Angela’s recipe. Boiling the chickpeas in white vinegar is the necessary step you need to take to allow the the flavor to take full effect. Your kitchen might smell afterwards, but open a window and prepare your palate. This snack is so worth it.

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and skins removed (optional for extra crispiness)
• 2-3 cups white vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt to taste (~ 1 tsp)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chickpeas in a small saucepan and cover with white vinegar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let them sit about 20 minutes. Drain (don’t rinse!) and spread evenly on a foil lined baking sheet. Coat with olive oil and sea salt. Bake 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes.