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Vegan Sticky Sesame Chickpeas Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 86 reviews

This Vegan Sticky Sesame Chickpeas recipe offers a flavorful and healthy plant-based dish featuring tender chickpeas coated in a rich, sticky sesame sauce. Perfect as a main or side, it combines savory tamari, sweet maple syrup, and aromatic garlic with a hint of spice, making it an ideal choice for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale

Chickpeas

  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Sauce and Seasoning

  • 3–4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1.5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • ⅓ cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
  • ¼ cup low sodium vegetable broth or water, divided
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional for spice)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas thoroughly. Set them aside to be used later in the recipe.
  2. Sauté Garlic: Mince the garlic cloves and add them to a sauté pan with avocado or olive oil. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the garlic becomes very fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
  3. Make Tapioca Mixture: In a small bowl, combine tapioca starch with half of the vegetable broth (about 2 tablespoons) and mix well until no clumps remain. Set this mixture aside.
  4. Create Sauce: Add tamari (or soy sauce), toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, ground ginger, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth to the sauté pan with garlic. Whisk together to combine all the flavors.
  5. Add Tapioca Starch Mixture: Pour the tapioca starch and broth mixture into the pan and stir continuously.
  6. Incorporate Chickpeas: Once bubbles start to form in the sauce, add in the chickpeas. Stir well, so they become evenly coated with the sauce.
  7. Simmer to Thicken: Reduce heat to low and cook while stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens to a sticky consistency, about 5 minutes.
  8. Rest and Serve: Remove the pan from heat and allow the chickpeas to sit for a few minutes to absorb all the flavors fully. Serve warm alongside steamed broccoli, quinoa, or rice for a wholesome meal.

Notes

  • The tapioca starch can be substituted with corn starch or arrowroot starch as alternative thickeners.
  • Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce option; regular soy sauce can be used if gluten is not a concern. Use low sodium varieties to prevent excess saltiness.
  • If the sauce fails to thicken after 10-15 minutes, add an extra two teaspoons of arrowroot powder to help it along.
  • Maple syrup can be replaced with honey, brown sugar, or coconut sugar depending on preference or dietary needs. Reduce the amount for a lower sugar version.

Keywords: vegan chickpeas, sticky sesame chickpeas, vegan main dish, plant-based recipe, quick vegan dinner, gluten free vegan sauce

Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/vegan-sticky-sesame-chickpeas-recipe/