Chickpea and Carrot Casserole

If you think that carrot casserole sounds bland and uninspiring, think again! Our healthy vegetarian casserole recipe combines carrots with fresh onions, leek, tomatoes and garlic. Add to that some protein-rich chickpeas and a warming blend of tikka spices and you have a delicious dish that's really low in fat but jam-packed full of flavor!

Preparation Time 10 mins - Cooking Time 20 mins - Serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into medium pieces

1 medium onion, halved and chopped into thin slices

1 medium leek, trimmed and chopped into small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

400g can chopped tomatoes

240g can chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons of tikka spice blend Quarter of a pint of vegetable stock

Black pepper

Olive oil

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan. Add in the chopped carrots, onions, leek and garlic and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes.

2. Next, add in the chopped tomatoes, the vegetable stock, the tikka spices and a good pinch of black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Next, add in the chickpeas, stir well, cover and cook for a further 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with some fresh coriander and serve with some brown rice or thick crusty bread.

Variations

For this carrot casserole recipe I use shop-bought tikka spice blend, but you can of course make your own if you prefer. Combine garlic, paprika, coriander, ginger, cumin and chilli for an authentic tikka taste.

Top Tip

To make sure they're as fresh and nutrient-rich as possible, always avoid buying carrots which are limp or rubbery, or which have lots of cracks in them.

Nutrition Nugget

As a small child your parents likely told you that eating carrots would help you see in the dark - well, they were right!

Carrots contain lots of beneficial antioxidant compounds which can help to promote good vision, especially night vision.

For more healthy casserole recipes like this chickpea and carrot casserole, click here.

Or return to our home page for more vegetarian cooking ideas.

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