I originally made this recipe in 2012 for our previous cooking blog. It is a plant-based friendly savory tart, perfect for Thanksgiving instead of meat.
The year before our youngest son started eating, when we found out he had a nut allergy, we made this often. It was honestly better than turkey and far less work (the hours of baking a turkey definitely heat the house). It’s easy to make and store in the refgrator, to enjoy a slice at a time, reheated.
Fall Chickpea Tart
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 2 large stalks of celery, chopped
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tsp lower-sodium soy sauce
- ½ tsp dry sage
- 4 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¾ cup toasted walnuts
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
- 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Crust and Topping –
- 1 9″ pastry crust, thawed on the counter if frozen (if frozen buy the “deep dish” style)
- 1½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lower-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high, add oil, onion, celery, salt and pepper, sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often. Take off the stove and stir in granulated garlic.
Meanwhile, add the chickpeas, thyme, and sautéed vegetables to a food processor. Process until finely chopped.
Add the walnuts and oats, pulse until combined, and chop the walnuts.
Place the thawed spinach in a mesh strainer and drain. Squeeze with hands to press out extra water.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add in spinach, cranberries, and reserved chickpeas, stir gently to mix.
Preheat oven to 400°. Roll out the pie crust to fit the pie plate. If any overhang, trim off and save. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, spread the filling inside, and smooth it out.
Mix the oil and soy sauce in a small bowl, brush all over the top, and sprinkle walnuts on.
If there are crust scraps, roll them out and cut decorative pieces, then place them on a small baking sheet. We used tiny cookie cutters that press in designs.
Place both in the oven, tart in the upper third, crust cutouts below. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the crust cutouts, and let cool. Continue baking the tart for 20 to 25 minutes more (for a total of 30 to 35 minutes), until golden.
Let cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 8 slices and serve. Decorate the top of the tart with the baked cutouts as desired.
To make in advance, let cool to room temperature, refrigerate until needed. Reheat one slice at a time in the microwave for a minute or so.
PS:
To toast the walnuts quickly, as you heat the skillet for the vegetables, add the walnuts to the dry pan and shake the pan to toast them for a couple of minutes.
~Sarah