Sustenance

Reimagining A Popular Favorite: Buffalo Chickpea Dip

March 29, 2021 /

Chickpeas are such a super food! They are packed with nutrients and protein. You can season and roast them for a snack (YUM) or throw them on some leafy greens. I also LOVE to use them as a meat substitute in popular recipes. They make a mean chickpea salad that you can enjoy on bread or on its own. My husband’s FAVORITE chickpea recipe is probably this buffalo chickpea dip.

chickpeas cook dip party buffalo meat free

Once shredded, the chickpeas have the perfect texture and consistency to replace the chicken in the traditional recipe. This recipe is not vegan/dairy free, but it is a GREAT way to make a meatless version of a crowd favorite. Check out the recipe for the dip below. It is SUPER simple! You can certainly replace the ingredients with dairy free alternatives and adjust the ingredients for spiciness and consistency.

Ingredients

2-15.5 oz. cans chickpeas

2-8 oz. packages softened cream cheese (You can use lowfat cream cheese and it doesn’t affect the consistency)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup ranch dressing (You can use lowfat or dairy free dressing and it doesn’t affect the consistency)

¼ cup to ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce (but really, to taste)

chickpeas cook dip party buffalo meat free

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
  2. Prepare your chickpeas by draining the water and smashing or shredding them. You can hand smash the chickpeas with the back of a fork/jar if you want them chunky, or run them through a food processor if you want them finely shredded (my husband prefers the latter method).
  3. Put your softened cream cheese in a large bowl. Stir to a smooth consistency. If you don’t stir it first, it will be very difficult to mix in the ranch dressing because the cream cheese bricks are slippery.
  4. Next, stir in the ranch and hot sauce.
  5. Then, stir in the shredded chickpeas and 1 to 1.5 cups of the shredded cheese.
  6. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with the remaining shredded cheese.
  7. Bake the dip for approximately 45 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dip starts to brown and bubble.  
  8. ENJOY with your favorite tortilla chips or other dippers!

Have you ever used chickpeas as a meat alternative?

Katie G.

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