A few months ago, I thought chickpeas were only good for hummus. That's the only way I'd ever had them! Then, a friend introduced me to falafel, and everything changed. I realized that chickpeas were much more versatile than I'd given them credit. I began to experiment with different recipes, making chickpea curries and chickpea "tuna salad." Then I found the recipe below, and my whole world changed. When mashed up a little bit, chickpeas have the same texture as ground beef. Now, chickpea tacos are my new favorite!
You can absolutely buy a can of chickpeas if you prefer, but it's so quick and easy to make them from scratch using the Instant Pot. This electric pressure cooker makes it possible to transform dried chickpeas into taco Tuesday within 30 minutes. They will be more flavorful and have less sodium than the canned variety, so give it a try.
Instant pot chickpea tacos
6
10 minutes
45 minutes
55 minutes
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
Water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 packet taco seasoning
6 corn or flour tortillas
Lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and avocado (for topping)
Drain the soaked chickpeas and rinse them well under cold, running water. Add them to the Instant Pot and cover them by 3 inches of water.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and choose the manual button. Select 24 minutes and allow the chickpeas to cook. When they're finished cooking, let the pot naturally release the pressure.
When the chickpeas are finished cooking, drain and discard the cooking water.
Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and peppers. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and taco seasoning, adding water according to the package instructions. Cook until the water has evaporated.
Using a fork or a potato masher, gently mash the chickpeas until they resemble the consistency of ground beef.
Meanwhile, heat your corn or flour tortillas in the microwave or in a 300 degree Farenheit oven until they are heated through.
Top each tortilla with the ground chickpea mixture and lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream or avocado (as desired).
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