Butter Chickpeas ( a Vegan & Gluten Free Recipe!)

I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and since then, someone in my family requests it almost daily! My mom has been Gluten free since January, so I am always on the lookout for tasty gluten free recipes - when this popped up on my Pinterest feed, I was intrigued! My family is not vegan (or even vegetarian for that matter) but I like to try to go meatless as often as possible! I strongly encourage you to try this yummy take on the traditional Butter Chicken even if you are not vegetarian/vegan/gluten free... it is that good!

The recipe is from Nourished the Blog, you can find the original HERE.

Start by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized pot. While the oil is heating, dice up 1 medium onion. Add the onion to the heated oil and cook over medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes until the onion is translucent.

*If you don't love onions, I recommend reducing the amount - you could add half of an onion or even a quarter instead of the whole thing!

Once the onions are cooked, add in 3-4 large cloves of minced garlic, 1 1/2 tablespoons of mild yellow curry powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (you could vary this amount - use less for a more mild result or more for a spicier dish!) and a little salt. Cook until the spices and garlic are fragrant - about 1 minute.

The onions will likely begin to stick during this step but just stick it out & continue stirring them, the broth in the next step will lift everything up! The Bean (my little sous-chef who only likes to stir) claims she could not stir these onions because they felt so sandy - ha! They did feel a little sandy, but it only lasts a minute! The broth fixes everything!

Add in 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and scrape the bottom of the pot!

Add in one 15 ounce can of low sodium tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups) and one 19 ounce can of low sodium chickpeas (about 2 cups) and one tablespoons of lime juice. Stir everything together until it is well combined.

Bring the mixture to a boil before turning it down to low heat and letting it cook for 20-25 minutes. The chickpeas should be completely cooked before you remove the pot from the heat.

Remove the pot from the heat then mix in 1/4 cup of almond butter, 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

I served the butter chickpeas with some basmati rice and it could not have been more delicious! I love how flavorful this meal is, but I especially love how easy it is to make! It takes me about 35 to get this meal on the table!

BUTTER CHICKPEAS
serves 5-6 people

ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons mild yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this amount can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want the end product to be)
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 15oz can plain, low sodium tomato sauce
1 19oz can low sodium chickpeas
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
Basmati rice for serving

directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the diced onion and cook until the onion is translucent (about 4-5 minutes).
2. Mix in the minced garlic, curry powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper and salt into the onions and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
3. Add in the vegetable stock and scrape the bottom of the pot - any browning pieces will lift easily in the stock.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce, chickpeas and lime juice, stirring until combined. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn the heat to low and let the butter chickpeas cook for 20-25 minutes. The chickpeas should be cooked when you remove the pot from the heat.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the almond butter, coconut milk and sugar until well combined and the sauce is lighter in color (more orange and less red).
6. Serve the butter chickpeas with a side of basmati rice.

Enjoy!