Chickpea Pate

This chickpea pate is delicious on freshly toasted sourdough or a slice of a quickly made Irish soda bread.

It can be added to a salad to take to work.

I like a slightly courser pate so keep a few chickpeas back to add into the smooth mix.

Serves 4

6 cloves of roasted garlic (skin removed)

120g walnuts

250g tinned chickpeas

2tbsp lemon juice

4tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

Roasting the garlic makes the garlic sweeter and much easier to digest. 

Heat the oven to 120c.

Slice the top of the garlic bulb off and place in a small baking tray.

Drizzle with olive oil and bake for around 50 mins until the cloves feel soft.

The roasted garlic will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen.

Put garlic and walnuts into a blender and blitz.

Add chickpeas (less 1 tbsp.), lemon juice and oil and blitz until a smooth pate is formed.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Season to taste and stir in the remining chickpeas.

Serve immediately or keep in the fridge until you need it.

You can use this pate as a base and add other flavours or textures.

I like to add a little chilli powder for some added heat . I have also roasted sweet pointed peppers and added slithers of it to the finished mix.

Play around with the flavours, enjoy experimenting.