Roasted Chickpea “Cheese” Bean Dip (Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Low-fat)

This may just be my favorite new dip. It honestly could be called hummus too, since I use chickpeas. However, I feel it’s more along the lines of a bean dip because I created the consistency to be similar to Frito Lay bean dip that I used to be addicted to. I made this slightly spicy, “cheesy” bean dip after making the Cheesy Spicy Black Bean Soup.

Shockingly, this really does taste like it has cheese in it. I taste tested it on the hubby and he agreed that it had a smoky, cheesy flavor. The key to this dip is roasting the chickpeas…it gives the dip a greater flavor and texture.

Recipe:  Serves 4  Prep time: 10 mins Bake time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

1 15oz can garbanzo or chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

3 jalapeno slices (from a jar, adjust to desired level of heat)

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth

2 large garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking process so they cook evenly. During the last 10 minutes of baking, add the garlic (unpeeled) to the oven to bake for the last 10 minutes. Peel the garlic and add it and the chickpeas to a food processor and pulse until broken up. Now, add the remaining ingredients and pulse for a good couple minutes, until a smooth consistency is reached. Scrape the sides as necessary. Serve with crackers, veggies or spread on some toast!

Nutrition per serving:  118 calories/ 8.25g protein/ 18 carbs/ 1.75g fat (Based on four 1/2 cup servings)