The Underrated Pantry Staple That's A Protein-Packed Pizza Topping

Those canned chickpeas sitting in your kitchen cupboard can be just the ticket to add texture and taste to tonight's pizza. In addition to using chickpea flour to make pizza, you can also top slices with the crunchy orbs. If you've tried making a chickpea flour pizza with chickpea pesto, you may already be a fan of this savory flavor combination. Consider making a batch of crispy chickpeas as part of meal prep. You'll have the pieces on hand to snack on during the week and can sprinkle the snack on top of pizza pies for a quick dinner made during busy weeks. 

Toss a batch of rinsed and dried chickpeas in cornstarch before putting them into the air fryer, and think of these tiny bites as a kind of blank canvas for your favorite flavors. Season with black pepper, ancho chile, and smoked paprika for a touch of heat, or keep spices simple with an easy sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a generous coating of the cooking oil or butter of your choice. Once made, crispy chickpeas can be sprinkled onto store-bought pizzas or used to top the pies you make from scratch. 

If you decide to make crispy chickpeas in advance, consider splitting up a batch of canned chickpeas to create different flavor combinations that can be used to mix and match when hunger strikes. Sumac and olive oil-coated chickpeas can be paired with pizzas topped with tahini, sliced olives, and sprinkles of goat cheese, or you can roast garlic and chickpeas together to add to a tomato pie that has been layered with dried tomatoes, pesto, fresh cilantro, and roasted red peppers.

The easy inclusion of canned chickpeas is well suited for those looking for filling meat-free pizza options, and when finished with a drizzle of hot honey or barbecue sauce can offer a satisfying pizza recipe with little effort on your part. If the thought of spooning roasted chickpeas onto a pizza isn't sitting with you, however, try making a pizza using chickpea flour for a similar earthy taste that is still packed with protein and plenty of health-supporting nutrients.