The Chickpea and Sun-Dried Tomato Balls are perfect for a tasty appetizer or finger food aperitif but also ideal as a vegetarian main dish.
They are super quick if you, like us, use pre-cooked chickpeas in a jar (glass, please).
Otherwise, you can use dried chickpeas by soaking them the night before and cooking them in plenty of water without adding salt.
I find that pre-cooked chickpeas in a glass jar are perfect for many quick and tasty recipes to make at the last minute, so I always have them at home, especially in summer, to spend as little time as possible cooking.
So if you like chickpeas, here below I leave you more tasty ideas to use them as a meat substitute, and then right after the photo, we’ll discover how to make the Chickpea and Sun-Dried Tomato Balls!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients for Chickpea and Sun-Dried Tomato Balls
- 1.1 lbs canned chickpeas (or soaked and cooked dried chickpeas)
- 2.1 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained)
- 1 sprig basil
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- to taste salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- to taste olive oil (for frying)
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (approximate weight)
Tools
- 1 Blender
- 1 Pan
Preparation of Chickpea and Sun-Dried Tomato Balls
To prepare the Chickpea and Sun-Dried Tomato Balls, first, drain the pre-cooked chickpeas from their preservation liquid.
Don’t throw away the preserving liquid (aquafaba) so you can make mayonnaise
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes from their oil and place them in the bowl of a blender or an immersion blender along with the chickpeas.
Blend for a few seconds, then add the basil and grated cheese, salt, and pepper, and if you like, a garlic clove which goes very well.
Blend until you have a smooth mixture without lumps, and if it’s too soft, add some tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
Set aside the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and beat the egg in a second dish.
Then take a portion of the mixture with a spoon, and shape balls slightly larger than a walnut.
Quickly pass them through the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs.
Once you have all the chickpea balls ready, heat 2 inches of oil for frying, fry a few balls at a time so as not to lower the oil’s temperature.
Once golden on one side, flip them and let them brown on the other side, drain them with a slotted spoon placing them on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
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How to Store Chickpea Balls
You can store them in the refrigerator well-closed in an airtight container for 2 days once fried, but also raw to fry them before eating.
Other Recipes
If you want to see other types of recipes, you can return to the HOME.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can they be baked?
Certainly, you can bake them by placing them on a baking sheet covered with lightly oiled parchment paper, sprinkle the balls with a little oil, and bake at 338°F for 20 minutes.
