Creamy Garlic Pepper Beans with Crispy Chickpea Crumble

Creamy, garlicky pepper white beans with spinach, finished with an irresistible crispy chickpea crumble, is the high-protein pantry meal I make on repeat, because it doesn’t even taste like a pantry meal. 20g Protein 13g fiber 8mg iron (Soy-free with gluten-free and nut-free options)

This creamy garlic pepper sauce with beans and kale or spinach is fantastic on its own. But then we level it up with this crispy chickpea breadcrumb topping, which adds texture, another pop of flavor, and more even protein and fiber. Think high protein croutons!

There is tons of protein in this recipe (60 grams in the entire pan) along with about 40 grams of fiber and 18 milligrams of iron. There is protein from the beans, chickpeas, cashews, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and kale, along with loads of fiber from the beans, chickpeas, kale, and hemp seeds.

This is a nutrient-packed meal, and you can increase the protein and fiber even more, depending on what sides you serve it with. Serve it with a side of multigrain bread or a good sourdough to bump up the protein and fiber even more. It’s also rich in iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins, and it comes together pretty quickly.

You can also serve it over pasta, baked potatoes, or roasted vegetables. Or make a quick bean toast by topping bread with the creamy beans and air frying for 6 to 7 minutes for a super quick and satisfying lunch. It smells so good as it’s cooking. It smells peppery, cheesy, and heavenly. 

The crispy chickpeas on top are so addictive! You can use that topping over any pasta or salad. The topping alone is a must-make.

This recipe uses two cans of beans. The whole can of white beans will simmer in the creamy garlic sauce, while you are dividing up a can of chickpeas. Some of the chickpeas get blended into the sauce to make it creamy, and the rest gets crisped up to make this amazing breadcrumb topping.

Why You’ll Love Pepper Beans

• super easy pantry meal that doesn’t taste like a pantry meal
• High protein and fiber
• crispy chickpea-breadcrumb topping, you’ll want on everything
• naturally soy-free with easy gluten-free and nut-free options

Ingredients

• beans – You need a can of chickpeas and a can of white beans for this recipe. You can use 1 1/2 cups each of homemade beans instead, if you prefer. We will divide the chickpeas and use 1 cup in the topping and 1/2 cup in the sauce for the pepper beans.
• breadcrumbs – Or a slice of bread. You can use gluten-free or omit, if needed.
• parsley – Or fresh herbs of choice, like cilantro, give the crumble topping a great, fresh flavor.
• dried spices – For the crispy chickpea topping, we are using onion powder, thyme (or a mix of thyme and oregano), black pepper, salt, Aleppo pepper flakes, and onion flakes. You can also add nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, if you like. For the pepper beans, you need oregano, black pepper, and nutritional yeast or miso.
• olive oil – To crisp up the chickpea topping and to sauté the aromatics for the pepper beans.
• aromatics – We are crisping some garlic for the topping and there is onion and garlic in the sauce for the pepper beans.
• lemon zest – This is optional but adds more depth of flavor to the chickpea topping.
• cashews and hemp seeds – Makes the sauce so creamy!
• Dijon mustard – For tang in the beans.
• baby kale – Or a mix of kale and spinach.

How to Make Pepper Beans

Drain the cans of chickpeas and white beans and let them sit to drain for a few minutes. Divide the chickpeas into 1 cup for the topping and 1/2 cup for the sauce.

Add the 1 cup of the chickpeas, plus the breadcrumbs, parsley, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and thyme to a food processor. Process until the mixture is coarsely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, place everything on a cutting board and chop with a knife until you have a coarse mixture.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the garlic is just starting to turn golden.

Add the chickpea-breadcrumb mixture and the Aleppo pepper flakes. Mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion flakes, and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the mixture is becoming crispy.

To make the chickpea mixture in the air fryer instead, mix the toasted garlic with the chickpea mixture and the remaining topping ingredients.

Then, transfer everything to an air fryer. Air fry at 370° F (188° C) for 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy.

Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the garlic starts to pick up a little bit of color.

Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well, so the onion cools the garlic slightly and stops it from browning too quickly. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the onion is evenly golden. If the pan starts to dry out after about 3 to 4 minutes, add a splash of water. Continue cooking until the onion is nicely golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the cream mixture. Add the cashews, hemp seeds, 1/2 cup chickpeas, Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, nutritional yeast, and 1 cup water to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. I usually blend for about 1 minute, let the mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes so the cashews soften further, then blend again for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until completely smooth. Set this aside.

Once the onion is golden, add the black pepper and oregano to the pan, and mix well. Add the kale or spinach, and cook until it begins to wilt.

Pour in the cream mixture, and mix well. Add the white beans, and stir to combine.

Rinse the blender with 1/4 cup water and add that to the pan. Depending on how saucy you want the beans, you can add more water, since the cashew cream thickens significantly as it cooks. Partially cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened evenly.

Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more salt, more black pepper, or more herbs such as oregano, fresh basil, thyme, or rosemary, and mix in. Switch off the heat and top the beans evenly with the crispy chickpea breadcrumb mixture. Serve immediately.

Make-Ahead Directions

You can make the topping up to a day ahead, and the pepper beans will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. Keep the crispy topping separate. Otherwise, it will absorb moisture from the creamy beans and lose its crunch. Reheat separately, and add the topping just before serving.

How to Serve Pepper Beans

Serve it with a side of multigrain bread or a good sourdough to bump up the protein and fiber even more.

You can also serve it over pasta, baked potatoes, or roasted vegetables. Or make a quick bean toast by topping bread with the creamy beans and air frying for 6 to 7 minutes for a super quick and satisfying lunch.