Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas, a simple and flavorful roasted vegetable and bean combo that’s great as a side or a topping for salads and bowl. Only 5 ingredients and 30 minutes!
Love cauliflower? Love chickpeas? Roast them together! This simple side dish is easy and flexible, and it’s great for meal prep. Enjoy it as a side dish or topping for salads and bowls!
👉 Ready to learn how to make roast cauliflower and chickpeas together? Let’s do it!
🫘 Ingredients + tools
- Cauliflower: A medium head of cauliflower, bonus points if you choose a colorful cauliflower like orange or purple!
- Chickpeas: We’re using a 15-ounce can of chickpeas, but you can also hydrate dried chickpeas (you’ll need about 1 cup)
- Olive oil: To grease the pan and coat the vegetables for a deeper flavor when baked
- Seasonings: We’re keeping it simple with garlic, salt, and pepper, but we have a suggested seasoning section below with ideas
- Equipment needed: knife, cutting board, colander, baking sheet, spatula
🥣 How to make (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Preheat oven and prep ingredients
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 C), then prep the ingredients:
- To prep chickpeas: Open a can of chickpeas and drain the chickpea water (see tip below for saving this and using in other recipes). Then rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
- To cut cauliflower: Cut off the hard stem from the head, then slice the head in half and remove the cauliflower florets.
👉 Don’t throw out the aquafaba! The water in the can of chickpeas, also known as “aquafaba,” is a versatile ingredients you can use to thicken things like soup or smoothies, or add to desserts. Try our favorite plant-based Aquafaba Avocado Chocolate Mousse if you’ve never used aquafaba before!
2️⃣ Step Two: Add to a baking sheet and season
Next, place the cut cauliflower and chickpeas on a roasting or sheet pan.
Drizzle with olive oil until completely coated. Season with sliced garlic, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
👉 Roasting tip! We like to keep the cauliflower and chickpeas separated on the roasting pan. Cauliflower can a bit take longer to bake and you can easily scoop the baked chickpeas off the pan when they’re done and keep cooking the cauliflower.
3️⃣ Step Three: Bake vegetables in the oven
Next place the roasting pan in the oven and bake until the chickpeas and cauliflower begin to brown, which takes about 25 minutes depending on your oven.
To make sure the chickpeas and cauliflower cook evenly, stir the vegetables halfway throughout cooking. If the garbanzo beans are cooking faster, remove them to a plate and continue to cook the cauliflower until it’s done.
When everything is done cooking, take the baking sheet out of the oven. If using as a side dish, serve them immediately. You can also let them cool and serve on top of salads or bowls.
💡 Seasoning ideas
We kept it simple with garlic, salt, and pepper in this recipe, but here are some seasoning ideas:
- Add a squeeze of citrus: squeeze a bit of lemon or lime over the top of vegetables for an acidic kick
- Cumin and paprika: add a dash of cumin and paprika for a deep, earthy flavor
- Paprika, chili powder, and cayenne: spice up this dish with paprika and chili powder, then sprinkling a little cayenne pepper on top
♻️ Sustainable kitchen + cooking tips
We care about reducing food waste here at Fork in the Road, and we know you do too! Here are tips for making this recipe sustainably:
Take advantage of cauliflower season! The best time to this recipe is when cauliflower is in season! Cauliflower is available in late summer and early fall, while garbanzo beans are available canned year round. Click here to find out when they are in season in your area.
Save your scraps! Both cauliflower leaves and the aquafabab are actually edible! Add leaves to your salads or soups and use aquafaba to thicken your next soup or smoothie (or use it in desserts!).
👉 More roasted cauliflower and chickpeas recipes
Can’t get enough cauliflower and chickpeas? Try our other easy roasted vegetable recipes:
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas or 1 cup from dried
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- Optional spices: cumin, paprika, cinnamon, maple syrup, etc.
Instructions
- Prep oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (200 C)
- Prep vegetables: Wash the head of cauliflower, then slice in half and then use a knife to cut the florets from the thick white center. Open and drain can of chickpeas (reserve the chickpea water for other uses, see notes).
- Roast vegetables: Arrange the cut cauliflower florets and drained chickpeas on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, tossing the vegetables to completely cover with oil and sprinkle with sliced garlic, salt, and pepper. Place sheet pan in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, stirring partway through to brown on all sides.
- Serve vegetables: Remove pan from oven, arrange vegetables on a plate and serve as a side dish or let cool and use as a salad or bowl topping.
Notes
- Tools Needed: sheet pan, knife set, cutting board
- Prep Ahead: Wash and cut vegetables ahead of time to reduce prep time before cooking. If serving cold on salads or bowls, you can make this recipe up to three days ahead of time.
- Leftovers and Storage: Leftover chickpeas and cauliflower should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best taste and texture, do not freeze and reheat.
- Reuse chickpea water: Save the reserved chickpea water (or aquafaba) to make desserts, thicken soups, or to add to smoothies.
- Nutrition notes: Nutrition information is estimated for only ingredients in the recipe, not the additional spice options given. This simple roasted vegetable recipe is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.