Chickpea Sliders

Chickpeas have always been one of my favorite legumes.  Unlike beans, which are mushy in texture and took many years of meticulously picking them out of my chili before I finally resigned myself to liking them, chickpeas have a nice, nutty bite to them.  

Last week I made this Sausage, Kale, and Bean Soup, but I substituted chickpeas instead of the beans.  (If you end up making it, I recommend adding a splash of red wine vinegar and some red onions). 

Since I was only cooking for myself, I still had half a can of chickpeas hanging out in the fridge for the rest of the week, awaiting their fate.  So I decided to get creative and make them into chickpea sliders.  Kind of like a falafel in slider form.  

Initially my idea was to use whole wheat mini-pitas (like the kind that you can find at Trader Joe's).  But I didn't have any and a trip to the grocery store was a full four-mile drive away, so I decided to use some whole-wheat naan bread that I had hibernating in my freezer for occasions such as this.  I re-heated it in the oven and used my smallest biscuit cutter to make slider-sized rounds.  (And then I kept the trimmings to dip into hummus later.  Waste not, want not.)  

For the toppings, I visualized some roasted red bell pepper, mixed greens, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.  After a quick perusal of my fridge, I then modified my vision to hummus, red onion, tomato, and baby romaine lettuce leaves.  

The results were even better than I had expected.  And no deep-frying required.  In the future, I might try using dried chickpeas soaked overnight to see how it compares since falafel is traditionally made that way.  I definitely recommend these sliders for parties or if you want to try something new.  It's also a great option for vegetarians or for "Meatless Mondays," which a lot of people are partaking in nowadays. 

Chickpea Slider 

(Obviously looks a lot bigger in this picture than it really was...)

Chickpea Sliders  (Makes about 10 sliders)

Ingredients 
1 15-oz can Chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and ground in a food processor)
1 Garlic Clove (minced)
2 tbsp Parsley (finely chopped)
2 tbsp Flour
1 Egg
A pinch of ground cumin and/or coriander
Salt + Pepper
Whole wheat pita/naan bread (mini or cut into rounds)
Toppings  (Suggestions: hummus, mixed greens, tomatoes, red onion)

-Combine the chickpeas, minced garlic, chopped parsley, flour, egg, cumin/coriander, and salt/pepper.
-Form into small slider patties and sauté in some oil over medium heat until browned on both sides (I used canola oil).  Drain on a paper towel.
-Warm the naan bread in the oven.  If necessary, cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter (or cut around something round with a knife).
-Build your slider with desired toppings.

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