Chickpea Vegan Sausage Crumbles
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Meat free, soy free, and whole food based vegan sausage crumbles! Chickpeas pack it with protein and make it a perfect topping.
I’m knee deep, no chin deep, in a new design for my site! Super excited to be doing all of it myself, from the logo to customizing a new theme, but it’s loads of work. So I was going to take this week off of a new recipe post.
BUT, because I love you, and because I finally made these vegan sausage crumbles again and nailed the flavor I was looking for, I decided to photograph and post.
And by photograph, I mean try and snap a few good quality images before the baby eats one of my backboards…well, he only nibbled on one corner so I consider this session a success! And this recipe success number two, because these are the perfect add on to keep around and give your recipes that extra oomph!
I’ve always loved the sharp bite of sausage flavor. That salty, spicy, zing in your mouth flavor is just so addicting. Thankfully, I am not a huge fan of clogged arteries, saturated fat and eating pigs so that’s why I created these vegan sausage crumbles!
No Fake Meat Over Here!
No, these are not a fake meat. They won’t “fool” your sausage loving neighbor/friend/family member. BUT, they will add that sausage like flavor when sprinkled on pizzas, salads, soups…wherever you want a little pizzaz.
Keep in mind, these are not meant to be eaten alone, but work best sprinkled on things because they are very flavorful. But that’s exactly what we wanted! And they are made with an awesome high protein whole food based ingredient, chickpeas! Sneaky little suckers these chickpeas.
I saw a quote from a reader online once “Why are these vegans SO obsessed with chickpeas?!” We’ll, it’s because you can turn them into ANYTHING!!! Like this, vegan sausage crumbles.
You Need These Vegan Sausage Crumbles In Your Life
I know you’re looking in that pantry and praying you have some chickpeas laying around. If the answer is yes, get to cookin’! If the answer is no, get yourself to the store!
I suggest making a big batch because you will sprinkle them on anything and everything. Sometimes I just eat these vegan sausage crumbles like popcorn. And that’s okay too!
Make sure to let me know how you used them! Leave me a comment here, find me on Facebook or tag me on Instagram with your creations at veggiesdontbite #veggiesdontbite so I don’t miss them! I can’t wait to see! Oh and PS, I may be working on a dessert with chickpeas. WHA?! I know, I know. Never been a fan of bean based desserts. BUT, I think I’ve finally nailed a recipe that will change any bean dessert haters mind!
Chickpea Vegan Sausage Crumbles
If I need to add flavor to anything from soups to salads, I immediately reach for these chickpea vegan sausage crumbles. I use chickpeas, fennel, and pantry spices to create a sausage-style seasoning and crumbly savory topping without any synthetic meat. It takes just 30 minutes to make, so I always have a jar ready for elevating my meals.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cans chickpeas (15 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds , crushed (easily done by using the back of a spoon)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt (see note)
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper , optional
- 1 tablespoon oat flour , use gluten free for gluten free version
Instructions
- Rinse and dry chickpeas very well. Put them in a kitchen towel and rub dry. Try and remove as many of the outer thin skins as possible, rolling them around with your hand on the towel helps. Don’t worry about getting them all, just as many as you can easily remove. Place dried chickpeas in a bowl.
- Add all the spices to the bowl, everything except the flour.
- Using a potato masher, or your hands, begin to crush chickpeas and break them into small pieces. The more skins that were removed, the easier this will be. You don’t want them mashed, just crumbled.
- Add oat flour to the bowl and using your hands combine well to coat the crumbles. This will help separate the crumbles as well.
- Spread onto a parchment lined cookie sheet in an even layer. Bake at 375°F/180°C for 20 minutes, until outside is just beginning to get crispy.
- Sprinkle over everything and anything!
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for this chickpea vegan sausage crumbles recipe is to dry the chickpeas thoroughly and remove as many skins as possible before crushing. If they are still damp, the seasoning will not cling as well, and the mixture is more likely to steam in the oven instead of crisping. I also try to remove all the skins to ensure they crush nicely and do not have a slightly bitter taste.
- Do not mash too much: I want crumbles, not hummus, so I stop once the chickpeas are broken into small pieces with some texture.
- Crush the fennel seeds: I always crush the fennel seeds a bit first, so their flavor spreads more evenly through the crumbles.
- Spread them out: If the crumbles are piled too close together on the baking sheet, they will soften instead of crisping.
- Taste for salt: If I know I am sprinkling them over something lightly seasoned, like salad, I use a higher amount of salt. But if the final dish is already salty like pizza, I scale it back.
- Reheat to refresh: These are best fresh, but a few minutes in the oven or skillet brings back some of that crisp texture if you are using leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 411mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.7mg
