Sometimes I joke about the fact that I wouldn’t know what to eat if it weren’t for canned chickpeas, but it’s not entirely a laughing matter. At least once a week, dinner is saved by a can of chickpeas. Admittedly it’s a bit of a rut, but one I don’t mind too much. I really love chickpeas.
Another rut I’m not too worried about is my winter grain salad habit. It’s goes something like this: gluten-free grain + roasted veg + can of beans + preserved lemon = dinner and lunch the next day. Brussels sprouts are often involved, as are broccolli, sweet potatoes, and delicata squash. It’s usually a clean-out-the-crisper kind of party and sometimes the results don’t bear revisiting. However, this iteration–sweet, roasted carrots with chickpeas, harissa, and whole grain sorghum–quickly became a keeper.
A quick sidenote in support of sorghum: before I knew that eating gluten was making me crazy-sick, I ate a lot of wheat berries. Growing up, my mom bought wheat berries in bulk. Because we lived in a region where a lot of wheat was grown, they were a super-affordable, local food. Since needing to stop eating gluten, I’ve felt like there wasn’t a great gluten-free alternative to wheat berries, which–weirdly–I found myself missing. Whole grain sorghum is definitely the closest thing I’ve found. Although it looks a bit like Isreali couscous, it’s much firmer and chewier, similar to how I remember wheat berries.
I kept this salad basic, without a sauce or garnish because I wanted it to be something you could load up with whatever you have in your fridge, like it is for me. I’d usually eat this with a dollop of greek yogurt if I have it and a big squeeze of sriracha, but it would be really good with a simple tahini sauce or a few crumbles of goat cheese. It’s pretty versatile and is as good warm as it is cold.
- 8 ounces, about 5 medium, carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 1 19 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons dried harissa
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 heaping tablespoon (about 2 sections) of preserved lemon, minced
- 3 cups cooked sorghum
- salt & pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Put the carrots and chickpeas in a large bowl. Add the harissa, smoked paprika, and olive oil. Stir until the carrots and chickpeas are completely coated with the spices.
- Turn the mixture on to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring once every 10 minutes.
- Put the cooked sorghum in a large bowl with the preserved lemon. Add the roasted carrots and chickpeas and toss to combine.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve.
Notes:Â
- Cook the sorghum as indicated on the package. It takes about an hour to cook, so start it first.
- This recipe was inspired by Nicole Taylor’s Rice and Harissa Chickpeas on Design Sponge.
- I think dried harissa mixes can really vary in terms of heat. Mine was on the mild side, so adding 2 tablespoons was no problem. You may need to adjust the amount of harissa based on how hot yours is.
Disclosure: I received this sorghum from Bob’s Red Mill free of charge, but my opinions remain my own.Â
About autumn
Autumn Giles is the creator of Autumn Makes & Does and the co-host of the Alphabet Soup Podcast.
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This salad sounds fabulous!! LOVE this for a weekly lunch…and dinner!
After seeing your Instagram post yesterday, I made some harissa and tossed it with delicata squash and carrots and roasted them. Served over coconut rice, it was so, so yummy! Thanks for the idea!
I love that, Meg! It’s such a good spice to have on hand for roasted winter veg because it goes with just about anything 🙂
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