Lemon Pepper Chickpeas

These one pan lemon pepper chickpeas are the perfect 30 minute dinner recipe that your whole family will love. They’re vegetarian but completely vegan friendly. Creamy, savory with just the right amount of zest.

I’ve been running Eat With Clarity for over 7 years and my vegan sesame chickpeas are still one of my most popular recipes. You guys love the simple, one pan recipe so we’re back with another simple chickpea recipe! These lemon pepper chickpeas are creamy, made in one pan and completely vegan friendly. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a legume that are naturally gluten free, and so is this whole recipe!

They’re tangy from the lemon zest, with a rich buttery and cheesy flavor from the parmesan, and come together in under 30 minutes. You can serve them exactly as is, with rice, orzo, veggies or just lots of extra parmesan cheese on top. You can’t go wrong!

This recipe is packed with protein and fiber from the chickpeas, so much flavor and is naturally vegetarian, gluten free and can easily be made vegan. If you love this dish, try my vegan mushroom broccoli pasta or marry me chickpeas next!

How to make lemon pepper chickpeas

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Whisk in the tapioca starch until yo get a roux. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon pepper seasoning, veggie broth and cashew cream. Whisk together well.

Mix in the parmesan until melted. Add in the chickpeas and bring the mixture to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend and the mixture thicken.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with your favorite bread, on top of rice or orzo or just as is! Enjoy and try my lemon pepper tofu next!

Key ingredients & swaps

Chickpeas. You need two, 15 ounce cans of chickpeas here. You can absolutely swap for another white bean like cannellini if you prefer!

Cashew cream. I used my homemade cashew cream but you are welcome to use a store bought vegan cream or just regular heavy cream if you are not dairy free.

Parmesan. I don’t eat a ton of dairy, but parmesan and butter are my two exceptions. I used cashew cream but real parmesan here, but you can absolutely use my cashew parmesan or a store bought vegan parmesan instead.

Veggie broth. This will create the base of the sauce! I don’t recommend any subs here other than chicken broth if you are not vegetarian. You can thin out the sauce a bit to create a creamier consistency but just adding in more veggie broth and/or cashew cream.

Tapioca starch. This is used to help thicken the sauce, but you can swap for cornstarch if that’s what you have instead.

Serving suggestions

I love serving these lemon pepper chickpeas with some good gluten free bread (I like the brand Greenlite from Whole Foods) and either a side kale salad, some steamed or roasted broccoli or a simple arugula salad on the side with lemon juice, olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper.

If you want to make it more hearty and filling, you can serve it over jasmine rice with a side of veggies.

More chickpea recipes you’ll love!

• Chickpea Tuna Salad
• Chickpea Cookie Dough
• Vegan Chickpea Burgers
• Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

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