Cook Chicken-Free Chickpea Nuggets
Chicken nuggets are just plain fun to eat, but some people (mostly vegetarians) skip this dipping delicacy due to all the pesky animal protein. Made with textured vegetable protein and chickpeas, these chicken-free nuggets are savory and delicious yet completely vegan.
Living in Portland means I’m always up to date with the latest vegan food (whether I like it or not), and the current “his” protein is soy curl, or “textured vegetable protein,” which was actually available in Asian supermarkets for some price. that time. TVP itself does not taste much, but it has a great texture and will absorb any aromatic liquid that you will gladly rehydrate it with. I used a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon with half a cup of water, but you can use another concentrated broth if you like, just be aware that you may need to add a little more salt.
When TVP is paired with chickpeas, you get a nice savory bite that sits somewhere between straight soy curls and falafel. Aquafaba – the liquid in a jar of chickpeas – acts like an egg-like binder and just a little flour holds everything together. To make chicken-free nuggets, you will need:
- 1 can of chickpeas + 1/4 cup liquid from a can
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 10 servings of fresh pepper
- 1/2 cup textured vegetable protein
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon chicken-free is better than broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
Pour 1/4 cup of the chickpea liquid from the jar and set aside. Drain off the rest of the liquid – save it for another use – and combine the chickpeas in a food processor with the garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper until smooth. Set aside. Place vegetable protein in a bowl, dissolve Better Than Bouillon in hot water and pour over protein. Wait 10 minutes, then add the chickpea porridge. Whisk the chickpea liquid until foamy, then add it to the rest, along with the flour and soy sauce.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to make a coating; you may need your hands to distribute the olive oil evenly. Scoop up tablespoons of the chicken-free mixture, then press the circles into the coating, making them nugget-like. (They will be quite soft, but will harden in the oven.) Bake on a parchment baking sheet at 400 ℉ for 40 minutes, turning them halfway over. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then serve with your favorite dipping sauce, or use them in a chicken-free sandwich. If you want to change the flavor, try a different stock, add some fresh ginger, or go crazy with breading.