Hearty Chickpea Empanadas

Empanadas are baked dough pockets originating in Galicia, Spain and Portugal, and taken to Argentina and Mexico, so many cultures have their own authentic versions. This is our international take on the vegan chickpea empanada!

Empanadas, hand pies, pasties, whatever you want to call them, give these vegan snacks a try and you’ll find them to be irresistible!

Mouthwatering crunchy pastry filled with deliciously spiced chickpeas make these a simple but hearty starter, lunch, snack, or finger food.

Whether you want to impress your party guests with a delicious nibble, or you want to treat yourself on a relaxing weekend, make sure you give this recipe a try!

Recipe yield
12 empanadas
Total time
2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 250 g chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 1 1⁄4 cups)
  • 2 onions
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1⁄2 tbsp cumin
  • 1⁄2 tbsp of paprika
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 tsp pepper
  • 1⁄2 tsp of chili powder (optional)

For the dough

  • 1⁄2 kg flour (or 4 cups)
  • 1 tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 tsp sugar
  • 1 1⁄2 tbsp olive oil (or 28 g)
  • 1 cup water (or 235 g)

For the coating

  • 1⁄2 tbsp turmeric
  • A pinch of white sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Cook the chickpeas for about two hours, until soft.
  2. When the chickpeas are tender, mash them with a potato masher, or pulse in a food processor – but make sure the texture is still chunky, and not completely smooth.
  3. Peel and chop the onions, and fry until browned.
  4. Add the mashed chickpea mixture to the fried onion and spices, and mix well.
  5. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast and the sugar, and add a cup of warm (but not hot) water, and let it sit for a few minutes.
  6. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture you prepared earlier, followed by the rest of the water for the dough. Mix until you have a smooth, uniform dough.
  7. Allow the dough to rest for about an hour.
  8. Roll out dough circles to roughly the diameter of a small plate, and put some of your filling into the center of each circle.
  9. Create semi-circles by folding the circles in half and pressing the points where the dough overlaps with a fork or pinching them together with your fingers.
  10. Mix the turmeric with 1/4 cup of water, and brush it onto your empanadas for a beautifully golden crispy coating. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top.
  11. Bake for about 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C, or 350°F.
  • For a quicker version of the recipe, you can use about 2 cans of cooked chickpeas.

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