Cheesy Broccoli and Chickpea Fritters
By Sammi Brondo — July 26, 2024
I’m a sucker for a chickpea fritter. They’re always delicious and such an easy way to mix it up at meal time.
Chickpeas don’t get as much credit as they deserve. Let’s start there, ok?
I mean, they’re such a powerhouse. They’re relatively inexpensive. Shelf stable. And they’re super versatile – just buy a can and do as you please with it.
Plus, they contain both protein and fiber, making them great meal addition to give ya satiety factor (read more about plant-based protein sources here!).
Chickpea fritters basically take everything we love about chickpeas and make them into deliciously crispy, golden fritter form. These ones are made with finely chopped broccoli, cheddar cheese, and a few other simple ingredients, like egg and whole wheat flour.
What I love about these too if is that they’re great for the family. I initially made these as something fun to feed my 8 month old daughter, Dylan. But, I’m quickly learning that there’s no reason to make separate meals for her and me. When I’m making something for the both of us, I’ll usually just omit the salt. If you’re making these for a younger baby, I added more tips on how to do so safely below!
To make these a complete meal, try them with some kind of salad and carb on the side. I had them with a simple tomato basil salad and roasted potatoes. It was such a good lunch!
Drain Chickpeas
Drain and rinse chickpeas.
I used low sodium, canned chickpeas here. No matter which kind you use – salted ones are totally fine if that’s all you can find! – make sure to give ‘em a good rinse first. If you’re making these for younger babies, I recommend mashing all the chickpeas and not leaving any whole pieces.
Chop Broccoli
Chop broccoli. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Make sure to chop the broccoli pretty finely. Again, you’re making these for younger babies, you’ll want small, well cooked and soft pieces.
Add chickpeas and broccoli to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until soft. Drain and add to a large bowl.
Mash Chickpeas & Broccoli Together
Using a fork, mash chickpeas and broccoli slightly. They should form a paste-like consistency, with whole pieces still intact throughout.
Add egg, flour, cheese, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste to the bowl. Mix well until combined.
Sub for any flour – all purpose or oat flour would work well.
Form the Patties & Cook
Using your hands, form the mixture into 8 patties. Set aside.
Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once oil has spread, add patties to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Serve immediately.
If all the fritters won’t fit on one pan, simply cook in 2 batches, adding more oil as needed. Keep in mind that the second batch will cook more quickly because the pan will already be pretty hot.
Tzatziki Sauce
Oh, and make sure to add a dipping sauce, too. Totally completes the meal. I used a store-bought tzatziki and it was chef’s kiss.
Notes
- Cheese: To make these dairy free, swap for nutrition yeast. You may want to add a little more salt, as nutritional yeast is a bit less salty than traditional cheese.
- Egg: I didn’t try it, but if you want to make these vegan, a flax egg should work here.
- Storage: Store chickpea fritters in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, either microwave them or, to make them crispy again, reheat them on a pan for a few minutes. You can also reheat them in an air fryer to get that crisp again.
Ingredients
- 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas
- 2 chops broccoli finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion power
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. Finely chop broccoli. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Add chickpeas and broccoli to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, until soft. Drain and add to a large bowl.
- Using a fork, mash chickpeas and broccoli slightly. They should form a paste-like consistency, with whole pieces still intact throughout.
- Add egg, flour, cheese, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste to the bowl. Mix well until combined.
- Using your hands, form the mixture into 8 patties. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once oil has spread, add patties to the pan and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Serve immediately.
Kind of shocked at how good these are! Assumed the skin should be removed from the chickpeas when rinsing.
Haha so glad you liked them! They’ll work with or without the skin removed 🙂
Dumb question but what do you mean by 2 "chops" of broccoli?
Not a dumb question at all, thank you for catching my typo! That should say cups! 🙂
**Comment:**
“These Cheesy Broccoli and Chickpea Fritters are absolutely delicious! I made them for my family last night and they were a huge hit. I used canned chickpeas with the skin on, as suggested, and it worked perfectly. I also added a bit of red pepper flakes for a little kick. Thanks for the great recipe, Sammi! 😊”
So happy to hear you loved them! Thank you for sharing Christa!