3-Ingredient Chickpea Flour Frittata (vegan, oil-free}

3-ingredient chickpea flour frittata made with chickpea flour, cashews, & vegetables! It is oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free, versatile & easy.

How about something super-simple for supper tonight? The leftovers are perfect for breakfast–and lunch–tomorrow. 

It’s hearty, but not heavy. Homey, yet fancy. And endlessly versatile, too.

It’s my 3-Ingredient Chickpea Flour Frittata.

The Only Vegan Frittata Recipe You Need

The ingredients for this vision of spring? Essentially, THREE: 

1. Chickpea flour
2. Raw cashews (I have alternative options)
3. Vegetables (chopped or shredded, raw or cooked, whatever you can rustle up)

You’ll need some tap water, too. Salt is adjustable/optional, according to your preferences. If you would like to add herbs and spices, have at it. Oh, the delicious options that await!

Let’s make this, shall we?

Grab a Baking Dish

I used a 9-inch (22.5 cm) pie/tart pan, but  you can use a similar sized square baking pan (e.g., 9-inch square), cast iron skillet, or casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

(Quick) Soak and Drain the Cashews 

Cashews add creaminess and fat to this frittata; no oil required! But they need to be soaked before blending into a batter, so do this first.

While the oven preheats, cover 1/3 cup (45 grams) of raw cashews with boiling water. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes until plump, and then drain.

Can I Use Something Other than Raw Cashews?

I have a hefty bag of raw cashews in my deep freezer. Most people do not, as my husband likes to remind me every time he has to sort through various bags of ingredients to get to the ice cream.

So, I have options! Here are several substitutions for the raw cashews:

1. Other nuts or seeds: An equal amount (45 g) raw pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, pepitas, or hemp hearts, soaked and drained. 
2. Nut butter: 3 tablespoons almond butter or cashew butter (umm, no need to soak) 
3. Roasted Nuts : An equal amount of roasted nuts (feel free to pick these out of trail mix, cans of mixed nuts, etc. :)), soaked and drained
4. Oil + Additional Chickpea Flour:  2 and 1/2 tablespoons oil (e.g., olive) + 1 and 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour

Gather 3 to 4 cups of chopped vegetables

Get ready to clear out your pantry, refrigerator and freezer! For this particular frittata, I used a combination of red bell pepper, asparagus, kale, onion, and Roma tomato, but the options are countless and you can use whatever you have available. 

RAW VEGETABLES

No need to pre-cook, just chop, slice, shred or spiralize. For example, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes (small cherry or grape tomatoes can be added whole), asparagus, broccoli, leafy green (think kale, mustard greens, spinach), zucchini, and more.

Harder vegetables (e.g., broccoli, thick asparagus) should be chopped relatively small, and carrots should be shredded or spiralized. I do not recommend raw potatoes, sweet potatoes or eggplant.

COOKED VEGETABLES

Give your leftovers new life! Roasted, steamed, boiled, almost anything goes! Small cubes of roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or spicy roasted chickpeas are great for giving the frittata extra heft.

FROZEN OR CANNED VEGETABLES

Defrost and drain, then measure and add. Corn with some dried basil and red bell pepper? Yes, please. Or perhaps some artichoke hearts, spinach and dill? I know you can dream up some amazing combinations.

Place the Vegetables in the Baking Dish

Spray the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and add the vegetables. Artisty is not required, but do distribute evenly.

Blend the Batter

Measure or weigh 1 and 1/4 cups (150 grams) of chickpea flour. If using cups to measure, lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cups to avoid packing the flour.

Place the chickpea flour, 1 and 1/2 cups (375 mL) water and the drained cashews in a blender. If you are ok with salt, I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon. You can add more or less according to your needs and preferences. Process on high speed until completely smooth.

Optional Turmeric for Egg Color

If you want the batter to have a brighter yellow color, add about 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric. It is completely optional! 

Pour the Batter over the Vegetables

Pour the batter over the vegetables in the baking dish. Once poured, give the pan a few  taps on the countertop so that the batter is evenly distributed between the vegetables.

Bake

Bake the frittata in the preheated oven for 42 to 45 minutes or until the surface begins to crack and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached.

Note that the frittata will look dry when it first emerges from the oven. That’s as it should be. It will look moist and egg-y as it cools. If you like, you can brush the surface with a bit of water or spritz with cooking spray.

Let the frittata cool for at least 15 minutes. It can be served warm, cooled to room temperature, or chilled and eaten cold.

Cut. Eat. Enjoy. Repeat!

May this simple, flexible recipe bring you many delicious meals in the days, weeks and months ahead!

Happy Baking!

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