This gluten-free vegan cold cut is one of those recipes I promised some of my readers a long time ago and that today I finally get to write: well done me! I experimented with this kind of vegan salami last year and then made it again because I really liked it. I chose to flavor it with chickpeas and olives, but I’ll also try it with sun-dried tomatoes rehydrated in water when I remember to buy them…
As I made it, this vegan cold cut weighs about 300g (10.5 oz) and you can get 10 slices of 30g (1.1 oz) each that cost only 1 Weight Watchers point, great right?
It’s really easy to make and further down you’ll find the step-by-step procedure. One of those recipes that’s harder to explain than to do!
Here are some other chickpea recipes that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 10 slices
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 cup green olives (pitted)
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- 1 tsp ml extra virgin olive oil (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (fresh or dried)
- to taste salt
- to taste water
- to taste broth
- Total Points = 10 WW points
- Points per 30g slice = 1 WW point (you can cut various thinner slices)
Tools
- Pot
- Blender
- Hand Blender
- Kitchen Twine
- Tea Towel untreated
Steps
First, weigh all the ingredients carefully, and make sure the chickpeas and olives are well rinsed and drained. Chop the olives into pieces.
Also, bring some water to a boil in a large pot and add a bit of granular broth.
Put all the ingredients into the blender jug and blend well. You can also use a hand blender, and if you prefer to find pieces in the cold cut, you can add the hand-chopped olives only after blending everything, as you like. I blended everything together.
If it’s too dry and difficult to blend, add a couple of teaspoons of water. Also, taste it to see if the seasoning is right: don’t make it too salty because it will also cook in the broth!
Transfer everything onto a clean tea towel not treated with scented softeners, please.
With the mixture, create an oblong shape, and if necessary, slightly wet your hands to perform this operation.
Roll the tea towel well and tie it with kitchen twine at several points to seal the entire cold cut.
Place the formed salami in the pot with the broth, cover, and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
At the end of cooking, turn off and let it cool in the pot. Once cooled, lift the salami from the broth and let it drain a bit before removing it from the tea towel.
I place it on kitchen paper and then in the fridge for about 8 hours, during which time it will firm up better.
Here our chickpea and olive vegan cold cut is ready to be sliced!
I found it very flavorful and I use it to fill bread and sandwiches, adding arugula and cherry tomatoes, which go perfectly. I didn’t take photos, but I also enjoyed it with grilled eggplants, and it’s delicious!
Once cooled, the entire cold cut weighs about 300g (10.5 oz) and costs only 10 WW points. So you can get 30 slices of 10g (0.35 oz) each, costing only 1 WW point each, and from which you can cut various thinner slices. Considering it’s mostly made of chickpeas, I would say this vegan salami can be considered a vegetable protein. Then you’ll see how best to use it. Perhaps even cut into cubes and added to summer salads, the choice is yours!
I look forward to hearing if you made it and liked it.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
This cold cut keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days in a container. I have never frozen it since I consume it quickly, so I don’t know if it’s possible. If you try it, let me know the result!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If I want to use dried chickpeas, how do I do it?
If you want to cook them yourself, soak at least 60g of dried chickpeas overnight, rinse them, and then boil them in unsalted water. Skim the surface at the first boil, cover with water, and let it simmer gently. If after a couple of hours the chickpeas are still hard, add a pinch of baking soda to soften them quickly and continue for another half hour. Once cooled, you can also remove the skins to make them more digestible. Take the amount you need and freeze the rest.
What can I use instead of cornstarch?
You can use potato starch as a substitute.
What can I use instead of chickpeas?
I believe any other type of legume would work well, although I haven’t tried it yet.
