These versatile little Italian Marinated Chickpeas can be eaten as a snack, used as a salad accoutrement , thrown on top of a pizza, or mashed up as a filler in my Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats. They are vegan, plant-based, and oil free. Plus they really are tasty!
Start with a can of chickpeas…otherwise known as garbanzo beans. Drain but don’t rinse. Chop up some bottled roasted red peppers. Make sure they are marinated in water or brine – not oil. This is an oil free recipe!
Add to a marinade of red wine vinegar, seasonings, and the special ingredient: nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is used to give a cheesy savory flavor to many plant-based recipes and really is a staple of the vegan kitchen. This is not the same as brewer’s yeast or baker’s yeast. It’s sometimes hard to find in the grocery store but can sometimes be found near the “healthy” or “gluten-free” or “natural” foods. I just order mine online. I should probably have it on auto-ship, I use it so much lol.
Stir everything together and put into an airtight container. Refrigerate for a few hours – the longer it sits and marinates, the tastier your little chickpeas will be! While the chickpeas are marinating, I usually give the container a little shake and flip to make sure they are all evenly flavored. 
If you use these Italian Marinated Chickpeas in a salad, or in my Italian Zucchini Boats, there is no reason to drain.
If you top a pizza with the chickpeas, please drain – otherwise your crust will get a little soggy. Just saying…
Oh yes! This pizza was delicious! It is topped with the Italian Marinated Chickpeas, arugula, pepper rings, and vegan cheese shreds.
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Italian Marinated Chickpeas
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
Putting It Together
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper from a jar, chopped
Instructions
Marinade
- Mix all marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Putting it Together
- Drain but don't rinse chickpeas.
- Chop roasted red peppers.
- Combine all ingredients. Put in an airtight container and marinade for a few hours. Will keep in refrigerator for several days.
